


Just like the Sunscreen

by moomoomeep



Category: Captain America - All Media Types
Genre: Alternate Universe - College/University, Bisexual Character(s), Disabled Character(s), Friends to Lovers, Friendship, Get Together, Modern Era, Multi, Pining, Summer Romance, established relationship(s) - Freeform, slow pacing
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-08-27
Updated: 2014-11-28
Packaged: 2018-02-15 01:45:37
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 15
Words: 25,601
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2211084
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/moomoomeep/pseuds/moomoomeep
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>"You ready for this?"</p><p>Steve narrows his eyes. "Do your worst, Wilson."</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. June 29th, 2014 (Part 1)

**Author's Note:**

> Inspiration and title from: “Carolina Summer” by Chase Holfelder (the fic doesn’t take place in North Carolina, but it’s still a fun summer song and I really like it).
> 
> Disclaimer: I do not own the characters or any songs that may be featured.

“Steve, hurry up! We’re going to be late!”

“I’ll be out in a minute, Nat,” Steve yells back as he shoves the last of his toiletries into his suitcase and forces it closed. He hoists his suitcase off his bed and places it on the floor next to his backpack, which is filled with his electronics and other items he wasn’t able to fit into his suitcase. Steve huffs out a breath as he shoves his glasses further up his nose, glancing around his room and double checking to make sure he hasn’t forgotten anything since he, Natasha, and Sam are about to head out on a two-week vacation to Chincoteague, Virginia.

“Steve!” Nat calls again, sounding impatient.

“I’m coming,” Steve says as he quickly grabs his bags and makes his way into their tiny living room where Natasha is waiting by the door with her arms crossed and a frown on her face that turns into a smirk as soon as she sees him.

“Well, it’s about time,” she teases playfully.

Steve smiles and shakes his head, waiting for Natasha to gather her bags and walk out the front door. He trails behind her, pausing only to lock their apartment before they make their way out of the building together and head over towards Sam’s car.

“Sammy! We got some more bags for you!” Natasha calls in a singsong tone.

“Great, that’s exactly what I wanted,” Sam replies sarcastically, looking as though he’s barely holding back an eye roll while he takes Natasha’s bags.

Steve and Sam finish packing the car while Natasha claims shotgun. Once Steve is able to fit his belongings into the backseat, he shuts the backdoor and walks around the other side of the car, slipping into the seat behind Sam’s and making himself comfortable for the long ride ahead.

Sam shuts the trunk and climbs into the driver’s seat moments later. He starts the car and clears his throat before saying, “I don’t know about you two, but I can already tell that this is going to be the best vacation ever and when am I ever wrong?”

“Well, you were wrong last week about the Dodgers winning against—” Steve begins.

“Details, details,” Sam interrupts dismissively, as he pulls out of the parking lot and onto the main road while Steve and Natasha laugh.

*

They make a pit stop in Baltimore because Sam knows of a place that sells fresh crab cakes at five in the morning.

“You guys are gonna love this place. Riley brought me here once when we were temporarily stationed in D.C. and I became obsessed,” Sam says with a nostalgic tone as he leads the way inside. Riley was Sam’s best friend—they grew up on the same street in Harlem and joined the United States Air Force Pararescue right out of high school. Unfortunately, he was killed in action during the first mission of his and Sam’s third and final tour.

“Steve? Hello? You gonna stand there and look pretty or are you gonna order something?” Sam asks.

“Hmm? Oh, sorry,” Steve says, feeling embarrassed that he zoned out for as long as he did. He looks to the cashier and says, “I’ll have whatever he’s having.”

The cashier raises an eyebrow curiously. “You want twenty crab cakes and the largest Slurpee we sell?”

“Twenty? Really Sam?” Steve says in disbelief.

“I told him it was a bad idea. He knows damn well he’s going to be running to the toilet for the rest of the day if he eats too many, but does he listen to me? No,” Natasha says with a frown.

“I’m not gonna eat them all in one sitting, Nat, don’t be ridiculous,” Sam says. “I’m gonna have a few now, store the rest in the cooler, and then enjoy them later when we’re sitting by the beach.”

Natasha rolls her eyes and Steve can see in her face that they’re going to have on hell of a pit stop later.

Steve sighs and turns back to the cashier, deciding only to order a medium Slurpee. He pays the cashier and moves to stand next to his friends, who are lingering beside the vending machine located near the counter. Their food and drinks arrive quicker than Steve was expecting and it doesn’t take them long to dig into their meals. Natasha and Steve eat two crab cakes each while Sam eats six and a half crab cakes and looks as though he could still put away more.

Natasha tells him to slow down so he doesn’t have the urge to use the bathroom while they’re crossing the Bay Bridge. Sam declares that he’ll be fine before guzzling down his entire Slurpee in one go.

*

“Wow,” Natasha says, sounding a little breathless as fully absorbs the experience of crossing the Chesapeake Bay Bridge at sunrise. “I’ve only crossed this bridge one other time, but Clint and I reached our destination before the sun rose. I can’t believe we missed out on how gorgeous this is.”

Sam hums. “Is Clint your other boyfriend?”

Natasha snorts. “You know he’s not, you giant nerd,” she says and Steve can hear the smile in her tone. Clint Barton is Natasha’s best friend, whom she met in high school after moving to Annapolis from her native Russia. They took a trip to Ocean City together in Clint’s hatchback once they graduated so they could have one last outing together before Nat went to New York and Clint was shipped out to Afghanistan.

“Giant nerd? I think that phrase better describes you,” Sam teases. He reaches over and pokes Natasha lightly in the cheek a few times before letting out a surprised yelp. “Ouch! Steve, Natasha just _bit_ me!”

Steve snorts. “You sound like the kid from that video. You know the one with those two British kids?”

“Oh! You’re talking about the Charlie bit my finger video,” Natasha practically exclaims before laughing. “That’s one of my favorites!”

“Oh, look what you did now, Steven,” Sam says with faux exasperation. “Now, she’s not going to stop talking about memes for the next two weeks.”

“In all honesty, it wouldn’t be an outing with Natasha if it didn’t include a few memes,” Steve points out.

“True story,” Natasha says before laughing again.

*

“Outta the way, I gotta pee like a motherfucking racehorse,” Sam exclaims as he haphazardly parks the car in front of a gas pump before flinging himself out of the car.

Natasha rolls her eyes. “You should have known better than to drink all of that Slurpee in one go,” she calls after him before turning off the ignition and getting out of the car with Sam’s wallet in hand.

Steve climbs out of the car as well, yawning and stretching before turning to Natasha. “I’m going to go get some food—do you want anything?”

Nat ponders his words for a moment before shaking her head. “No, I’m good. Although, if you happen to find one of those Starbucks drinks that I like, I would be grateful,” she says with a small smile.

“Can do, ma’am,” he says before giving her a mock salute, which causes her to laugh.

Steve walks away from the car and enters the Royal Farms, immediately wandering into the candy and clip isle, grabbing two bags of Cheetos for himself, a bag of Honey Barbeque Chips in case Natasha gets hungry later, and Spicy Doritos for Sam. He then moves to the drink isle, finding Natasha’s favorite Starbucks Vanilla Chilled Frappuccino Drink, a Coke for himself and a Brisk Strawberry Melon Iced Tea for Sam, though Steve doubts Sam will be sucking this down anytime soon.

He’s paying for his items when Sam wanders out of the restroom, looking like a great weight have been lifted from his bladder. “Feeling better?” Steve asks once Sam is within earshot.

“I feel like I’ve just encountered Jesus in there,” Sam responds, sounding completely relieved.

Steve snorts before accepting his bags, debit card, and receipt from the cashier. He wishes her a good day before following Sam out of the gas station.

“Oh shit, I still need to fill up the tank,” Sam says as soon as he sees Nat waiting patiently by the car.

“I got you, babe,” Natasha quotes with a smirk. She hands Sam back his wallet, laughing under her breath when he wraps his arms around her and places a sloppy kiss on her cheek in thanks. “Come on, you affectionate oaf, we still have two hours left until we get to the hotel.”

“Are you sure I can’t just hold you in the backseat while Steve drives the rest of the way?” Sam asks.

“My license is still expired. I haven’t had a chance to renew it yet,” Steve says. When Sam frowns, he shrugs, “I’ll do it when we get back.”

Sam snorts. “Doesn’t help me now, though,” he teases as he lets go of Natasha and claps his hands together once. “Alright, lady and other gentleman, who isn’t as good looking as me, let’s bounce.”


	2. June 29th, 2014 (Part 2)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you all so much for the support so far! I hope you enjoy this chapter as well! :)
> 
> Hotel and suite layouts: http://vfmii.com/exc/aspquery?command=invoke&ipid=392&ids=79306&pop=Y&tpl=901

Sam pulls into the America’s Best Values Inn and Suites’ gravel parking lot at eleven o clock on the dot. He parks the car in one of the few open spaces before going into the office to check in while Steve and Natasha begin unpacking the car. Five minutes later, Sam returns with keys to both of the suites _(Sam and Natasha are staying in room one while Steve is staying next door in room two)_.

Steve gathers his belongings before heading into his room. As soon as he opens the door, he’s immediately greeted with the sight of a double bed resting against the wall in front of the door. On the left side of the bed is a night table with a lamp resting on the surface. The rest of the main room consists of a semi large television set resting on top of an entertainment center/dresser, a couch, a desk with a wooden chair placed in front of it, and a microwave settled on top of a mini fridge.

He shuts the door behind him and sets his suitcase, backpack, and food bags on the bed. He wanders into the adjacent bathroom, noting the large bath and separate shower stall (something he’s never had before). While he’s there, Steve takes a piss and washes his hands before walking back into the main room so he can being the dreaded unpacking process. Normally on trips like these, he would just live out of his suitcase, but since he and his friends are going to be here for the next two weeks, he may as well make himself comfortable.

Steve is about halfway through his unpacking when he hears someone knocking. He sets the pair of shorts in his hand back into his suitcase and opens the door, revealing Sam standing on the other side.

“Hey, so Natasha is hungry and there’s this place down the street called Dinah’s Diner—again, I will say _Dinah’s Diner_ ,” Sam says with a wide grin. “Anyway, she wants to try it out. You in?”

“Sam, if there’s food involved, then you know that I’m in,” Steve responds to which Sam laughs. He moves, grabbing his wallet and key before leaving his room with Sam in tow.

*

Dinah’s Diner looks like something straight out of the nineteen sixties.

Nat leads the way inside of the building where they are immediately greeted by the host and lead to a booth. Sam and Nat sit next to each other on one side with her taking the aisle seat while Steve sits across from them. The host passes out the menus and tells them that a waiter will be with them shortly. Sam thanks her and she leaves them to decide on their orders.

“Oh wow. They actually have reduced and low calorie meals here,” Sam says in a surprised tone as he flips through the menu.

“Really? Huh, you usually don’t see that much in diners,” Steve comments before locating that section and scanning his options.

Steve is _very_ careful when it comes to his diet and tries to stay on the healthier side when permitted. He has a faster beating heart and occasionally suffers from palpations so he doesn’t drink coffee or energy drinks. He has high blood pressure, but it’s improving since he cut salt out of his diet as much as he possibly could. His mom had diabetes so he doesn’t eat many sweets, though he does occasionally indulge. He’s still looking over the menu when he sees someone approach their table out of the corner of his eye.

“Good afternoon. My name is Bucky and I will be your waiter for today.”

Steve looks up from his menu and is floored by how _attractive_ the waiter is: his large green eyes and wide smile light up his entire face. His long brown hair is tied into a bun at the nape of his neck and he looks stunning in his uniform, wearing long sleeves and a glove on his left hand despite the summer heat. Steve could go on forever in his head about how gorgeous he is, if not for Sam kicking him in the shin.

“Hey boyo, what do you want to drink?” Sam asks, looking as though he’s holding back a smirk.

“Oh sorry,” Steve says, mentally scolding himself for getting distracted. “Can I just get water?”

“You got it,” Bucky says before furrowing his brow. “Hey, by any chance, are you from New York?”

“Born and raised in Brooklyn,” Steve responds. “Why?”

“I knew I recognized that accent,” Bucky says, grinning proudly to himself before adding, “I’m from there as well.”

Steve raises an eyebrow, obviously not expecting to run into a fellow Brooklynite. “Really?”

Bucky hums. “Yeah.”

Turns out, Steve and Bucky grew up on opposite sides of Brooklyn _(they went to rival high schools where Bucky played for his school’s football team as well as participated in the science club and debate team. Steve never went to any games and the only extracurricular he did was art club)_. Despite the fact that were a part of completely different social circles, they actually have plenty in common like the fact that they both root for the Mets only because they cannot stand the Yankees; they think that diet soda is a crime against humanity; and that flying cars should be a thing because who wouldn’t want to own one?

Steve is so into their conversation that he doesn’t realize how much time has passed until Bucky shuffles his feet and looks embarrassed for getting distracted while he’s on duty.

“I’m sorry, but I missed your drink order,” Bucky says with a slight wince.

“What?” Steve asks dumbly before registering Bucky’s words. “Oh, uh, can I get water?”

“Yeah,” Bucky says before writing down his drink order and Steve can see that his hand is shaking. “I’ll be back in a minute.”

When Bucky walks away to get their drinks, Steve watches him go, admiring how well he looks from behind. Once he realizes what he’s doing, he pulls himself out of his trance and turns to his friends, only to find them both wearing matching grins.

Steve furrows his brow. “What?”

“You are _terrible_ at flirting,” Natasha says in a low tone. “It’s a good thing you’re cute—though not as cute as Sam.”

“True shit,” Sam agrees.

Steve sighs to himself, already knowing what the two of them are thinking. “Don’t,” he warns.

Bucky returns to the table for a brief moment, dropping off their drinks and taking their food orders. He throws a private smile in Steve’s direction that Steve returns before he leaves again.

“Guys, I mean it, don’t get involved.” Steve says once Bucky is out of earshot. His friends are infamous for continuously setting him up on random dates even though none of them ever works out.

“How can we not, Steve? This is the first person we’ve seen you show _genuine_ interest in since Peggy went back to England,” Natasha says.

“She’s right,” Sam chimes in. “Plus, you don’t _have_ to do something extravagant—it can be something as simple as going on a beach date.”

“I don’t even know him _or_ if he’s into guys,” Steve tries reasoning even though that sounds like a weak excuse to him.

“He seems pretty interested to me,” Natasha comments.

“And how do you know that?” Steve questions.

Nat shrugs. “Woman’s intuition.”

Steve raises an eyebrow.

“I’m serious,” Natasha argues. “I know you’re not . . . _the best_ at seeing these signs, but _trust me_. When you two were having your chat, it was like Sam and I weren’t even here and I can bet that if he wasn’t working, he would have jumped your bones right then and there.”

“Natasha!” Sam squeaks.

Nat throws her hands up in the air dramatically. “I know what I’m talking about here, Samuel!”

Sam rolls his eyes, but doesn’t dispute her statement. “And don’t call me Samuel.”

 _“Samuel,”_ Natasha whispers under her breath with a teasing grin on his face.

Steve shakes his head, glad that his friends are changing the subject—at least for now.

*

“We should leave him a good tip. He was . . . nice,” Sam says with a grin once they’ve finished their meals. He pulls out his wallet and leaves roughly fifteen dollars on the table.

“You know what would be a good tip? Leaving him Steve’s phone number,” Nat says, throwing a little smirk in Steve’s direction before her eyes widen. “I’m gonna do it.”

“Nat no,” Steve tries to argue but it’s too late for Natasha has already pulled out a pen and is writing on the back of one of the dollar bills.

“Isn’t it illegal to write on American currency?” Sam wonders aloud.

Natasha shrugs. “How should I know? I’m not from this country.”

Before Steve and Sam can stop her, Natasha is already on her feet and approaching Bucky, exchanging a few words with him and handing him his tip. She’s smirking, Bucky’s blushing, Sam is trying to call Natasha back to the table without shouting, and all Steve wants to do is crawl into a hole and die.


	3. June 30th, 2014

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Listening to: “Haunted” by Beyoncé; “2 On” by Tinashe (Feat. Schoolboy Q)

“Did he call?”

Steve glances up from his phone to look at Natasha, who’s back is towards him while she sets up Sam’s XBOX 360 so they can play Halo 4. He repeats Natasha’s question in his head before furrowing his brow in confusion. “Who?”

“The waiter, Steve. Did he call you?”

“Bucky? No, he didn’t.”

Natasha turns to face him looking genuinely surprised. “Really?” she questions before furrowing her brow in thought. “That’s weird—I actually had a good feeling about this one.”

“And you didn’t about the others?” Steve mutters to himself as she turns back to the television.

“You see, this is the reason why we don’t give random strangers our phone numbers,” Sam shouts through the bathroom door.

“Hey maybe instead of talking to us, you should focus on finishing your morning poop,” Natasha replies. “Because you said we could get food an hour ago and I’m _starving_.”

“I’m not pooping, Natasha, that’s _nasty_ ,” Sam says. “I’m doing my hair.”

“We’ve been together for three years, Sam. Do you really expect me to believe that you’re just _doing your hair_?” Natasha questions.

“Yes,” Sam answers almost as soon as she’s finishing speaking.

Natasha rolls her eyes in fond exasperation as the loading screen for Halo 4 appears on the television. She grabs her controller and plops down on the bed next to Steve before throwing a smirk in his direction. “You’re going down, Rogers.”

Steve snorts, setting his phone aside and grabbing his own controller off the bed. “We’ll see about that.”

*

Natasha gloats the entire way to Dinah’s Diner about how much Steve sucks at Halo. Steve simply rolls his eyes while Sam frequently tries to change the subject back to the bacon cheese fries he’s about to order.

As soon as he enters the building, Steve immediately spots Bucky talking with another waiter on the other side of the room. Natasha elbows him in the side and gestures her towards him with a mischievous smile on her face. Steve frowns at her before looking back over, surprised to find Bucky glancing between him and the person he’s speaking with as though he’s trying to end their conversation.

“Sam and I are going to go find a table,” Natasha loudly declares once she notices Bucky making his way towards them.

“We are?” Sam says confused. He lets out a surprised exclamation when Natasha grabs him by his arm and physically drags him in the opposite direction.

“Hey,” Steve greets as soon as Bucky is within earshot.

“Hey yourself,” Bucky says with a little smirk as he comes to a stop directly in front of Steve. His eyes roam across Steve’s features for a moment before he winces. “Sorry I didn’t call last night, by the way. My sister broke my phone by dropping it in the toilet _again_ and we don’t have a landline.”

Steve nods his head, unable to stop himself from feeling relieved. “It’s fine, honestly. Sorry, you had to have my number thrust upon you like that. I didn’t want you to feel like you were forced to call me.”

“It’s okay, I wanted to,” Bucky admits.

Steve smiles and lets a brief pause pass before saying, “So, my friends and I are having a pool day at our hotel, would you like to join us?”

Bucky smiles widely. “I’d love to.”

“Great,” Steve says, pleased with himself for keeping his voice levelled despite how nervous he is. “You know the America’s Best Values Inn down the road?”

“Yeah, I know it,” Bucky confirms before turning to glance at the clock. “I get off in two hours. I’ll meet you guys after my shift?”

“Sounds like a plan.”

Bucky grins. “Okay.”

They give each other confirming nods before turning and walking away from each other, Steve going to search for his friends and Bucky going back to work. Steve glances over his shoulder to peek at Bucky and grins to himself when he sees Bucky doing the same to him.

“Well?” Natasha asks impatiently as soon as Steve arrives at the table.

“I asked him out. It was just to our pool day, but that counts right?” Steve says with a slight wince, knowing that he should have cleared inviting someone with his friends first, but based on their thrilled expressions, it seems as though they don’t really mind all too much.

*

Steve is sitting by the pool at the hotel a few hours later playing Flappy Bird on his phone. He gets so into his game, that he doesn’t realize he’s not alone anymore until someone suddenly starts speaking to him, which causes him to flinch and bite back a surprised exclamation.

The person laughs loudly. “I’m not even sorry—that reaction was priceless.”

Steve looks up from his phone and finds Bucky standing over him, with a wide grin on his face. “I bet you say that to all the guys you find sitting practically half naked by the pool.”

“You got me,” Bucky jokes before shaking his head and gesturing to the chair on Steve’s right. “Mind if I sit?”

Steve makes a dramatic motion with his arm. “Your throne awaits.”

Bucky laughs again as he settles down, placing his helmet, keys and wallet on the table. He doesn’t roll up his sleeves or take off the glove on his left hand despite the fact that it’s nearing a hundred degrees. While Steve does find that a bit odd, it’s not like he’s going to directly question Bucky about it.

Instead, Steve gestures towards the helmet. “You got a bike?”

Bucky hums. “A Ducati Streetfighter 848—bought her used in Maryland and fixed her up myself,” he says, proudly. “Yep. Testasteretta 11 degree L-Twin Engine, 132 horsepower, 16.51 miles per every 4.4 gallons, and to top it all off, she’s a dual seater.”

Steve whistles, impressed. “Sounds like an amazing ride.”

“Oh, it is,” Bucky says with a grin before reaching over and lightly touching Steve’s arm. “Hey, maybe I’ll take you sometime?”

“You know what; I might just have to take you up on that,” Steve responds.

Bucky grins delighted as he leans back in his seat.

“Aw, look at our boys, Sam. They’re so well behaved,” Natasha teases while she and Sam make their way over to where Steve and Bucky are sitting. “Oh, I’m so proud.”

“Yeah, at least they’re stationary instead of running around and peeing on everything,” Sam responds.

“What?” Steve exclaims surprised. “Who does that?”

“My nasty ass cousins,” Sam responds with a frown while Natasha laughs.

Bucky raises an eyebrow and cross his arms. “I’m guessing there’s a story behind this.”

“You bet there is,” Sam says as he sits down in the chair next to Bucky. “See, I have eight cousins total all under the age of ten and when I was a teenager, I was tasked with babysitting so my aunts and uncles didn’t have to pay me.”

Sam pauses to take a drink from his water bottle before continuing. “Well, there was one time when my mom wanted me to go to the store while I was babysitting so I convinced my friend, Riley, to come along and help. We loaded the kids into my aunt’s minivan and went to Costco. Now, these kids acted like they had no sense in their head—they were screaming, running around, and one of them really did pee all over everything.”

“Oh no,” Bucky says, sounding horrified.

“Oh yes,” Sam confirms. “We ended up getting security called on us and got kicked out of the store. They then called my parents, who were furious, and Riley—” he cuts himself off so he can shake his head in a disappointed manner. “Riley fled and normally, I would do the same, but there was nowhere for me to go especially with all those kids. I cannot even begin to tell you how much trouble I was in.”

“I’ll bet,” Bucky says with an emphatic look. “What’d you do to Riley for abandoning you like that?”

Sam grins mischievously. “A week after that incident, while we were on a school field trip, I pushed Riley into the lake and told everyone that he tripped because he was a clumsy fuck. He cussed me out for like twenty minutes, but at least I wasn’t the one riding home with soggy drawers.”

“Oh my god, Sam,” Natasha says in between laughs.

Sam grins and nods to Bucky. “Your turn.”

“I may not have younger cousins, but I did grow up with four older sisters,” Bucky responds to which Sam winces. “They used to beat me up—a lot. My oldest sister, Rikki, was the worst. She was the only girl on the school’s wresting team and needed someone to practice with multiple times a week. Even after I bulked up for football, she still kicked my ass.”

Natasha hums proudly. “I’d like to meet this older sister. It seems like we’d have a lot in common.”

Sam groans. “Oh man, I don’t think I’ll be able to handle two Natasha’s.”

Natasha smiles and wraps both of her arms around Sam’s bicep. “You know you love me, Sam.”

Sam doesn’t respond.

“Say you love me,” Natasha repeats.

Sam rolls his eyes before leaning over to place a kiss on Natasha’s forehead. “I love you, you big dork.”

Natasha smiles wider and shifts so she can lay her head on Sam’s shoulder.

*

“So, Steve, do you have anyone? Back in New York, I mean?” Bucky asks while Sam and Nat are distracted by chasing each other around the pool.

Steve shakes his head. “Nah, I don’t have anyone—my gender or others.”

Bucky looks completely taken aback by Steve’s response. “You’re bisexual?”

“Yes,” Steve says cautiously before crossing his arms. “Is there a problem?”

“No, of course not. I didn’t mean it like that, sorry,” Bucky corrects, realizing how his words came across. “It’s just—I am too and I’ve never met someone else like me and I didn’t mean for it come out that way, sorry.”

Steve relaxes back into his seat before shrugging. “S’okay. I know what you mean,” he says, which causes Bucky to smile. He returns the gesture before nodding towards the pool. “You wanna join them?”

“Oh yeah,” Bucky says. He slides out of his chair and jumps into the pool, preforming a perfect cannon ball that only splashes Sam with water.

Natasha howls with unrestrained laughter, bracing her hands against the side of the pool while Sam tries to comprehend what just happened.

Steve takes his glasses off and sets them aside so they don’t get ruined. He enters the pool and wades towards Bucky who has his back to him. “Hey, Bucky,” he says, splashing Bucky with water as soon as he turns around, watching amused as he sputters and spits water from his mouth.

Bucky brushes the wet strains of his hair out of his face. “Who do you think you are, you punk?” he exclaims before splashing Steve back.

Steve wipes the water off his face and raises an eyebrow. “Oh? Is that how it’s gonna be?”

“Yeah, that’s how it’s gonna be,” Bucky says, his tone laced with cockiness.

Steve splashes Bucky again. “Jerk,” he responds, unable to stop grinning.


	4. July 1st, 2014

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the long wait everyone! I had my wisdom teeth out and then I got sick, but I'm better now and hoping that I’ll be able to get back onto a proper writing schedule again shortly. (Also, I changed the summary because I like this new one better). 
> 
> I hope you guys enjoy! 
> 
> Listening to: “Good Kid M.A.A.D. City,” Full Deluxe Album by Kendrick Lamar.

“Are you ready for our island tour, Mr. SquarePants?” Sam says to Steve enthusiastically.

Steve grins widely. “Aye aye, Captain!”

“I can’t hear _you_!”

“Aye aye, Captain!”

 _“Oh,”_ Sam sings, extending the word in a deeper tone.

Natasha slaps her hands over her ears and lets out an exaggerated wail that is barely audible over Steve and Sam’s combined off key singing. “Ah! My ear drums are bleeding!”

“What?” Bucky says as he settles into the driver’s seat of his sister’s car.

“I said: my ear drums are _bleeding_ ,” Natasha says, carefully emphasizing her words.

“Speak up, I can’t hear you,” Bucky responds.

Steve and Sam finish singing and burst into laughter while Natasha sighs relieved.

Bucky slowly backs his sister’s car out of the space and pulls out of the hotel’s parking lot. He clicks on the turn signal and turns left onto Maddox Boulevard before clearing his throat. “Good morning everyone, and welcome to your very own _exclusive_ tour of Chincoteague Island!”

“What the hell kind of voice is that?” Natasha asks, sounding amused.

“I call it my overly chipper tour guide voice,” Bucky says with a grin. He shakes his head before continuing in his normal tone. “Right next to your hotel on the left is Mr. Whippy’s, which has ice cream so fantastic it’ll make you cream your pants in the middle of the store. Ironically, next to that is the Island Creamery, which has incredible brownies—my sister is in love with them.”

Bucky pauses at a red light and points straight ahead. “Further down the road is Famous Pizza, Shore Bank, Refuge Golf, Chincoteague Museum, Subway, the library, Memorial Park, which isn’t on this road but they have a playground and an area where you can walk along the water and fish.”

The light changes and Bucky continues down the road. “There’s also a Nature Trail, AJ’s—it’s a little pricey, but the food is amazing. A few blocks from AJ’s, there’s a McDonald’s, Family Dollar—”

“Captain Steve’s Bait and Tackle,” Natasha says, sounding highly amused as they pass by the store. “Steve, why didn’t you tell us that you were running your own business? Were you afraid that Sam and I were going to find it . . . _fishy_?”

“It’s begun,” Steve says, slightly horrified. Natasha is infamous for her terrible puns and if Steve is completely honest, he’s surprised that she hasn’t started this sooner.

“Aw, where’s your sense of humor, Rogers? I don’t make these jokes just for the _halibut_ ,” she says.

Steve frowns and continues frowning long after Natasha falls silent, not trusting the little half smirk that he can see her displaying in Bucky’s side mirror. His attention is diverted however when he feels a slight pressure against his left pinkie. Steve suppresses a flinch and looks at his hand from the corner of his eye, seeing Bucky’s pinky brushing against his. After a few moments of internal debate, Steve decides to take a leap of faith and takes Bucky’s hand within his own, curling their fingers together as the heat from Bucky’s skin warms him to his core.

Steve feels Natasha nudge the back of his seat with her foot, picturing the teasing look on her face and he elects to ignore in her favor of savoring Bucky’s small, satisfied smile as he gives Steve’s hand a tiny squeeze.

“So now that we’ve seen all the sights, at least on Maddox Boulevard anyway, can we go to Sonic? I _really_ want a milkshake,” Natasha says, sounding slightly impatient. She’s been talking about going to Sonic for the past month and was pissed when Sam didn’t stop on the way down.

“Of course,” Bucky says before making a U-turn at the next light.

*

“What the fuck? NASA’s down here?” Sam exclaims surprised as they come to a stop at a red light with the NASA building on their right and a gas station to their left.

Bucky hums. “Yeah, that’s the Wallops Island flight facility. I’m surprised you guys didn’t see it on the way down.”

“Steve and I saw it,” Nat says with a shrug. “Sam, you must have been too focused on driving.”

“And singing along to the Spice Girls,” Steve says, with a shake of his head.

Sam hums. “From your tone, it sounds like you need to _spice up your life_.”

Steve and Bucky groan simultaneously. Natasha grins, looking extremely proud of her boyfriend.

*

“Alright—most embarrassing moment, go!” Sam says before taking a large bite of his Bacon Double Cheeseburger.

They’re currently at Sonic for lunch and the restaurant is surprisingly empty for a Tuesday at lunchtime so it didn’t take long for them to order their food (Bucky paid for Steve, which is something that both surprised and flattered him) and grab a nearby table. They dug into their meals when they arrived as they continue swapping various stories from their past that range from Bucky telling of how his sister, Anne, once held him down and farted on him to Natasha telling of how Clint ruined their high school graduation when he tripped on stage and accidentally tore off the Principal’s toupee.

“Okay, uh,” Bucky begins, chewing on his lower lip in thought for a few moments before his eyes widen. “I’ve got it.”

Natasha raises a curious eyebrow at Bucky’s gleeful expression. “Do tell,” she says with a slight smirk on her lips.

“Alright, it’s not my most embarrassing moment, but it is for my sister, Kira,” Bucky says with a grin. “When I was a sophomore in high school, Kira was a senior, and by this point I was so tired of getting the shit kicked out of me that I just _had_ to something. So, I got some of my teammates together and we spray painted her car bright pink, which is her _least_ favorite color, shifted everything in her room five inches to the left, and even hired a mariachi band to follow her around the school for an entire day.”

Sam laughs. “Genius!”

“I know?” Bucky says with a laugh before shoving another piece of Jumbo Popcorn Chicken into his mouth. “Okay, who’s next?”

Sam grins widely. “Brace yourselves, for I am about to tell the greatest story of all time.”

“Oh no,” Steve groans dreadfully, knowing exactly which story Sam wants to tell.

“Oh yes,” Sam says grinning. “I love telling the story of how we first met.”

“More than you should,” Steve grumbles into his Oreo Milkshake while Sam clears his throat.

“Alright, here’s the lowdown,” Sam begins with a dramatic flair. “It was freshman orientation at NYU. I was sitting on the bleachers in the gym minding my own business when suddenly, Bozo the Wonder Clown here trips over his own damn feet and drops a _steaming_ hot plate of nachos directly into my lap. I couldn’t feel the old boy for a week.”

 _“Shit,”_ Bucky says, biting down hard on his lower lip in an attempt to mask his wide grin.

“I apologized,” Steve says defensively.

“And I had to pee sitting down,” Sam says with a slight frown. “He shakes his head before continuing, “Anyway, so Steve is apologizing like sorry is the only word he knows while Peggy was looking embarrassed and the person behind me was busting their gut laughing. I turn around and tell them to fuck off. They looked me dead in the eye and told me to make them.”

“And we’ve been together ever since,” Natasha says proudly, slapping the table with her hand emphasis.

“Steve, that’s awful,” Bucky says, trying to come off as sympathetic, but instead looking like he wants to bust a nut laughing.

“Oh you think that’s bad?” Natasha says with a raised eyebrow. “Wait until you hear this.”

“Nat, are you about to say what I think you’re going to say?” Sam asks warily.

Natasha grins. “About five or six months ago, I was making Sam fix the lights in the hall bathroom because they kept flickering and giving me a headache. He goes into the bathroom with his toolbox—the red one I got him for Christmas—and starts working. Now, while Sam is tall, he wasn’t quite able to reach the lights so he stood on the toilet _without_ putting the lid down first. As you can imagine, he slips, screams, and I run in to find him with his right foot caught in the toilet.”

“She pointed and laughed at me for twenty minutes straight,” Sam says with a frown.

“I took pictures,” Nat says with a mischievous smirk. “Wanna see?”

“Give ‘em here,” Steve says, taking the device from Natasha when she hands it to him. He and Bucky slowly scroll through the pictures, which all display Sam in various stages of distress while his foot is stuck in the toilet. Towards the end of the photos, it shows Natasha moving closer as though she’s going to help Sam, but instead she flushes and continues taking photos while Sam is desperately trying to get his foot out.

Steve breathes heavily through his nose in an attempt to hold back his laughter. He turns to see if Bucky is doing the same when he realizes how close their faces are. Steve’s heartbeat increases when Bucky looks up at him, blue eyes twinkling and smile threating to overtake his face.

“Sam, you fucked up so bad,” Steve says as he turns away from Bucky and hands Natasha back her phone. “Why have I never heard this story before?”

“Because I swore Natasha to secrecy,” Sam says as he throws a glare in Natasha’s direction before looking back to Steve. “It wasn’t _exactly_ my proudest moment.”

“Aw,” Natasha says, pocketing her phone and curling her arm around Sam’s waist. “It’ll be alright—you’ll get your dignity back one day.” She pauses and her eyes widen before a sly grin crawls across her face. “Speaking of dignity, Sam, you remember that one time when you—”

Sam hurriedly places his hand over Natasha’s mouth before she could finish her sentence, apparently knowing exactly what she was going to say next. After a few seconds, Sam quickly pulls his hand away and wipes it on his jeans while Natasha laughs.

When Steve and Bucky give them both confused looks, Natasha says, “I licked his hand.”

“Ugh—that was disgusting,” Sam says, still looking disturbed. “Why did your tongue feel so weird?”

Natasha furrows her brow. “That’s odd. Because you never say that when—”

“Please stop talking,” Sam says slightly desperate, while Steve and Bucky wear matching expressions of horror, knowing exactly what Natasha is implying.

Natasha, unfazed, simply looks between the three men with a wide smile on her face.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> While Dinah’s Diner is a fictional place, all the other stores and restaurants I mentioned are real and located on the island.


	5. July 2nd, 2014

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chincoteague Wildlife Reserve: http://www.chincoteague.com/assateagueisland.html 
> 
> What the loop looks like in person: http://moomoomeep.tumblr.com/post/99833385068/chincoteague-wildlife-loop
> 
> [Additional Information from brochures I received at the Chincoteague Wildlife Reserve Visitor Center]
> 
> Listening to: “Demi” Full Google Play Exclusive Album by Demi Lovato
> 
> Warning: brief mention of blood

“—so then, Clint leaps out from behind the sofa shouting gibberish and Kate jumps _at least_ two feet into the air, screams and punches Clint right in the nose,” Natasha says, grinning widely while Steve, Sam, and Bucky attempt to muffle their laughter.

When they first arrived at _Dinah’s Diner_ , they invited Bucky to sit with them. Bucky agreed and fulfilled their orders before sliding into the booth next to Steve, stealing bacon off his plate and drinking a majority of his coffee while they made plans to go to the beach together once Bucky gets off work at two.

“Oh geez,” Steve says with a shake of his head once he gets control over his laughter. “What happened next?”

“Clint’s nose starts _gushing_ blood and it goes _everywhere_ ,” Natasha says. She moves her hand in a wild gesture for emphasis and accidentally knocks over her coffee, causing the drink to spill all over the table in addition to her brand new yellow shirt and white shorts that she bought specifically for this trip. She swears in her native language as she reaches for some nearby napkins, dabbing at her shirt in an effort to clean up the ruined garment.

Bucky raises an eyebrow at Natasha’s words. He pulls a rag out of his apron and starts wiping off the table after moving the overturned cup and Natasha’s plate out of his way.

“Don’t give me that look, Barnes,” she says to Bucky before turning her attention back to her ruined clothes. After a beat, she looks up at Bucky with a curious expression. “You speak Russian?”

Bucky nods. “Yeah, I studied it in high school and kept up with it after I graduated, though it did help that there’s a guy in my unit who is fluent and taught me all the things you don’t learn in school.”

“Unit? You’re military?” Sam asks before shoving another slice of bacon into his mouth.

“U.S. Army, 107th Infantry. I’m on leave right now,” Bucky says. He finishes cleaning up the mess and places the dirty rag on the table in front of him before settling back into the booth. “Did you serve?”

“I did—Former Fifty-Eighth U.S. Air Force Pararescue,”Sam informs, with a hint of nostalgia in his voice.

“Fifty-Eighth . . .” Bucky repeats, trailing off in thought before his eyes widen. “Oh my god, are you _Falcon_?”

Sam gives a confirming nod and Bucky lights up like a kid on Christmas morning.

“I _knew_ —I _knew_ I recognized you, but I wasn’t sure. You’re a legend and this—this is such an honor,” Bucky says, actively looking like he’s trying not to bounce in his seat like an overexcited puppy.

Sam unconsciously sits up a little straighter as a proud smile crosses his features.

“Sam’s a legend?” Steve says, sharing a confused glance with Natasha.

Bucky turns to Steve, looking both surprised and offended. “You don’t know? Falcon is one of the most famous airmen in history. He and his partner performed some of the most high stakes rescue operations known to man using a wing pack that was made by _Tony Stark himself_.”

“ _Sam_?” Natasha says in disbelief. “ _My_ Sam?”

Bucky nods his head rapidly and Sam looks as though he’s never going to stop grinning.

“I like him,” Sam says, giving Steve a look that says, _“if you don’t date this kid, then I will— Natasha will understand.”_

“How come you never told me and Steve any of this?” Natasha says, sounding impressed that Sam managed to keep this from her especially since she knows everything—or at least acts as though she does.

Sam shrugs. “It never came up in conversation,” he says before turning his attention back to Bucky. “Okay, _little man_ ; since you already know my service, why don’t you tell us a little about yours—if you’re comfortable sharing, that is?”

Bucky grins. “Well—”

“Barnes!” a female voice shouts from somewhere behind them. “I’m not paying you to slack off—get back to work!”

Bucky winces. “And that’s my boss,” he says with a disappointed sigh. “I gotta get back to work.” He opens his mouth like he wants to say something more, but his boss shouting his name again causes him to flinch. He gives everyone at the booth apologetic look before excusing himself from the table and heading back to work.

*

It’s at half past three when Sam is driving everyone to the beach (Bucky’s shift ran late) when Steve notices a sign for something called the Chincoteague Wildlife Loop.

“Hey Buck, do you know what the Wildlife Loop is?” Steve asks.

“Hmm? Oh, it’s this three or so mile trail through marshland that’s a popular migration spot in the spring and fall, though I have no idea how many different bird species are there right now,” Bucky explains.

“That sounds awesome,” Natasha says, delighted. “Sam, can we go?”

“Sure thing, “Sam responds. He drives down the main road for a few more minutes before making a left turn at the entrance for the Loop. Sam follows the signs for the vehicular path and lowers his speed so he can drive safely on the dirt trail.

The marshland is gorgeous and the air is filled with a crisp saltiness that is drifting over from the Atlantic Ocean nearby. Steve pulls out his Fujifilm camera that his mother got him for Christmas one year and begins snapping some photos. Occasionally, Bucky will lean over Steve’s lap and gesture out the open window when he recognizes a particular bird species while Natasha tells Sam to move his big head out of her way and slow down so she can get a good shot for Instagram.

“How are your pictures coming out?” Bucky asks after a few minutes of driving.

“Pretty well actually, though I wish there was something to photograph other than Egrets and Geese,” Steve responds.

“Yeah, there are always a shit ton of those around—Egrets and Geese that is,” Bucky says. He falls silent for a moment before he lightly hits Steve in the arm. “Hey, if you want something else to photograph, you can take a picture of me. Unlike these birds, _I_ can actually stay still.”

Steve snorts and raises a brow. “Are you sure about that? Because you are pretty wiggly,” he jokes.

Bucky sticks out his tongue and Steve rolls his eyes. He shifts around in his seat for a few moments before striking a ludicrous pose, causing Steve to laugh as he raises the camera up to his eye and snaps the picture.

“How’s it look?” Bucky asks curiously.

Steve lowers the camera and checks over the photo. “Ridiculous,” he answers, letting a small smile cross his face when Bucky beams at him.

*

After Sam parks in one of the few empty spaces in the beach’s parking lot, it doesn’t take long for everyone to pile out and grab what they’ll need for the next few hours. Once situated, Natasha runs off ahead in the hopes of finding a good spot (though it’s doubtful considering it’s close to four thirty in the evening and majority of people are still out) with Sam waddling behind her since she made him carry her quote, “heavy ass bag with everyone’s shit in it.”

Steve and Bucky follow the pair at a slower pace, taking their time walking through the sand and soaking in the calming feeling of being near the ocean, listening to the waves crashing into each other and the Gulls cawing overhead.

“You know, I don’t think we ever thanked you for showing us around the other day,” Steve says, taking his eyes away from the gorgeous landscape so he can smile at the equally gorgeous man walking beside him. “So, thank you for showing us around.”

Bucky shrugs and turns to grin at Steve. “It’s no problem really. I love this Island a lot and I’m happy that I’m able to share it with someone I care about.”

Steve’s smile widens, and he’s unable to stop his heart from skipping a beat at Bucky’s words.

“Steve! Bucky! Over here! I found us the _perfect_ spot,” Natasha calls, waving her arms wildly in the air so the pair can easily spot her.

Sam joins up with Natasha first, setting her bag on the ground and rolling his shoulder after carrying the heavy item for so long. He plops down next to the bag and lies down on his back. Once he’s settled, Natasha lies down next to him and rests her head on his chest, implying that she’s not going to be moving for a while.

Steve and Bucky eventually reach their friends position and settle down together on the second unoccupied towel, trying their best not to kick sand everywhere only to fail miserably. They laugh before Steve rummages through Natasha’s bag and pulls out his phone, typing in his passcode and bringing up Flow Free, which is one of Steve’s favorite apps at the minute. The pair takes turns trying to solve each of the puzzles, venting out their frustrations to each other and unashamed at having to ask Natasha for help on some of the more difficult puzzles.

Eventually, they give up on playing games and start a conversation amongst themselves, talking about anything and everything they can think of. With every passing minute, Steve can’t help but think that he might actually be _falling_ for Bucky, which is completely _terrifying_ to him because he hasn’t felt this way about anyone since he and Peggy split.

Steve opens his mouth to speak right as his stomach growls loudly, which causes Bucky to laugh. Embarrassed, he shrinks into himself and wraps his arm around his stomach, willing it to be quiet. “Sorry, I guess I’m getting hungry now,” he says with a slightly nervous laugh.

“Maybe you should _Czech_ the cooler for some food,” Bucky answers with a straight face.

Steve lets a laugh pass through his lips. He shakes his head before leaning closer to Bucky. “Please don’t tell Natasha that I laughed at your pun or else she’ll never let me hear the end of it,” he whispers.

“Don’t worry,” Bucky whispers back. “Your secret is safe with me.”

“Yeah?” Steve questions, his smile slightly faltering once he realizes exactly how _close_ Bucky is and how easy it would be for him to close the distance between them and—

“Yeah,” Bucky says expression serious, as he appears to come to the same conclusion as Steve.

Bucky starts leaning forward and Steve mirrors his movements. They’re slowly closing the distance between them—Steve can feel Bucky’s warm breaths ghosting over his lips and their mouths are just about to touch—

“Nat, gimme back my damn phone—you’re gonna run up my bill,” Sam all but shouts.

His voice jolts Steve and Bucky out of their trance, causing them to shyly move away from each other and turn their heads to look at Sam, who is making grabbing motions for his phone that Natasha is holding out of his reach.

“No, mine is dead and I want to get on Twitter but I can’t until I watch the Teen Wolf that you made me miss on Monday because you wanted to play Mini Golf, which you suck at,” Nat responds with narrowed eyes.

Sam frowns. “You’re just mad because you lost, now give me my phone.”

“No!”

Bucky turns his head back to Steve and gives him a tight smile. “You wanna go for a swim?” he asks, sounding disappointed about their ruined mood, something that Steve agrees with.

Steve shrugs. “Not much else we can do,” he says before rising to his feet and following Bucky down to the water.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Flow Free is an amazing game and highly addicting—I love it so much.


	6. July 3rd, 2014

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Listening to: “Knock Madness” Full Album by Hopsin
> 
> Featured song: “Standing on the Sun,” by Beyoncé

“Where the hell is Bucky at? I need my damn waffles,” Sam says as he shifts impatiently from one foot to the other before huffing and placing his hands on his hips.

“He said he was going home to change and get his sister’s car,” Steve reiterates, remembering the quick phone call he and Bucky had while the latter was borrowing a co-worker’s phone. Yesterday when they were leaving the beach, they made plans to go to the Walmart in Pocomoke City. Bucky was going anyway to pick up his new phone and offered to take them when Natasha mentioned they were running low on the food they brought from New York.

“How are you going to make waffles, Sam? We don’t have a toaster,” Natasha says as she looks up from the shopping list she’s been editing on her phone.

“Oh, that reminds me—I gotta get a toaster,” Sam says.

“You’re not getting a toaster,” Nat says, now frowning.

Sam gives Natasha a challenging look. “Ten bucks says I can find a toaster under twenty.”

“You’re on,” Nat says with a grin, shaking Sam’s hand once in confirmation of their bet.

A horn blaring nearby immediately pulls their attention to the road, where they find Bucky waving at them from inside of his sister’s car. He rolls down the window and yells, “Get in losers, we’re going shopping.”

Steve is honestly surprised that any of them managed to get into the car without injuring themselves because they were laughing so damn hard.

*

“Alright, I’ll bite. What the hell is Sam doing?” Bucky asks, breaking the comfortable silence that had fallen over the car. They had just crossed the Maryland border when Steve noticed Bucky occasionally glancing in the review mirror with a look of confusion on his face.

Steve twists in his seat to look and finds Sam in the backseat with his headphones in, flailing around while dramatically lip-syncing to a song that Steve doesn’t recognize the lyrics for. He rolls his eyes and turns back around. “That’s what he likes to call “car dancing,” he explains, air quotes and all.

“What’s he listening too that’s making him dance like that?” Bucky asks. “He looks like he’s trying to put out a fire.”

Natasha snorts. “Knowing Sam, it’s probably Beyoncé,” she answers.

_“Can you feel the heat on my skin? Can you feel all of my lovin? You and me, we’re standing on the sun,”_ Sam sings aloud. _“Can you feel my heart burning? Make you feel all my good lovin? You and me, we’re standing on the sun.”_

“Yep, Beyoncé,” Natasha confirms before shifting her gaze to the window.

*

Bucky pulls into the Super Walmart parking lot roughly thirty minutes later, managing to snag a rare front row spot. The foursome climbs out of the car and heads into the store. Once inside, they decide to split up after agreeing to meet up in electronics in an hour. Natasha and Sam head for the pharmacy area for medicine, while Steve and Bucky search the food isles.

Steve and Bucky start in the fruit and vegetable isle, picking up some grapes, strawberries, raspberries, peaches, lettuce, tomato, onion, a pineapple (because Sam loves them) in addition to other produces. When they finish getting what they need, they move on to the next isle, which turns out to be filled with snacks (ironically).

Bucky walks ahead, pausing in front of the snack cakes towards the end of the isle and looking between each one with a baffled expression on his face. “Dude, how many different kinds of snack cakes does one store need?”

Steve parks the cart nearby and peers over Bucky’s shoulder, quickly glancing at their options. “Apparently, a lot. Grab the chocolate tasty cakes with the chocolate filling—those are Nat’s favorite,” he says, watching while Bucky grabs the correct box, checks the date, and drops it in the cart before wandering off.

The pair continue through the rest of the isles in this fashion, picking up more condiments, cheap containers of ramen noodles and macaroni, hamburger and hot dog rolls, raw meat, raw chicken, premade hamburger patties, hotdogs, various spices, paper towels, toilet paper (because Nat doesn’t like the brand the hotel provides), water, cups, paper plates, cheese, amongst other items. They don’t have much freezer room or an oven, but Steve also grabs a few mini pizzas, Sam’s goddamn waffles, and some microwavable cheeseburgers.

“Is that everything?” Bucky asks as he checks over the items in the cart.

“I think so,” Steve answers right as his phone goes off. He pulls the device out of his pocket and notices that he has a new text from Sam that says, **_“Hurry up, dick wad. I want to look at these games but Natasha said I had to wait for your slow asses.”_**

Steve rolls his eyes and responds, _**“Keep your shorts on, asshole, we’re on our way.”**_

*

_“What do you mean the only toaster they have in stock in thirty-five dollars?”_ Sam practically screeches.

“It looks like someone is gonna be eating microwaved waffles for the next few days,” Steve says.

“And you owe me ten bucks,” Natasha points out.

Sam sighs heavily in disappointment as he reaches for his wallet.

*

The sun is going down by the time they return the hotel. Bucky parks in one of the few remaining open spaces and everyone climbs out. It doesn’t take them long to divide the bags evenly amongst themselves before going into their respective rooms and putting away all of the groceries aside from the ones they’re going to need for the cookout that Natasha got the idea for whilst they were standing in the checkout line.

When Steve and Bucky emerge from the former’s room, they find Nat and Sam already at the hotel’s mini grilling area. Nat is cleaning off one of the grill’s racks while Sam is arranging everything they need. Steve and Bucky join the pair, Bucky moving to help Nat while Steve aids Sam in unpackaging the patties, hot dogs, and raw chicken. Once the racks are clean and covered in aluminum foil, Steve and Sam lay everything down since their hands are already dirty and go into their rooms to wash up after Natasha lets them inside.

Steve finishes first and leaves his room, closing the door behind him and waiting for Sam on the mini deck area. He glances around the hotel, still hardly able to believe that he’s actually here when his eyes fall on Bucky and Natasha, both whom are tending to the food while carrying on a conversation that involves wild gestures and a ton of laughter.

“Looks like they’re getting along well,” Sam says suddenly, nearly causing Steve to jump out of his skin since he didn’t hear his friend approach.

Steve hums his agreement. He knows that Natasha’s liking of Bucky is genuine; otherwise, she wouldn’t have given Bucky Steve’s phone number in the first place.

“He seems like he’s the real deal,” Sam continues before turning to face Steve. “I’m sure I don’t have to warn you to be careful anyway though, right?”

Steve snorts. “No, you don’t,” he confirms with a smile. “I’ll watch out for myself, Sam. I promise.”

Sam grins and opens his mouth to speak when Natasha unknowingly cuts him off.

“Hey, you two! Stop gossiping like schoolgirls and come help us with this food—it isn’t going to cook itself!” Natasha yells.

“We’ll be over in a minute, Nat; keep your panties on,” Sam says, already making his way back over to the grilling area with Steve following behind him.

“I thought you liked me better with them off?” she inquires loudly.

Sam sputters in surprise while Bucky howls with laughter and Steve sighs, having already expected a response like that from Nat.

_“Nat, you can’t say that—there are children at this hotel,”_ Sam practically hisses.

Natasha’s smirk is clearly visible even in the near darkness. “I’m not hearing a denial,” she says in a singsong tone before turning her attention back to the grill.

*

Later that evening (long after Bucky went home and his friends retired to their room), Steve is lying in bed alone reading when his phone chimes on the nightstand next to him. Thinking it’s Natasha emailing him more memes, which she does on a regular basis, he picks up the device ready to tell her to leave him alone and is surprised when he finds he has an unread message from Bucky.

He quickly opens the text that reads, **_“Goodnight! Sleep tight! Don’t let the Natasha bite! :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :)”_**

Steve bites down on his bottom lip in an attempt to stop himself from grinning like a buffoon, which utterly fails. He quickly shoots back a text, reiterating Bucky’s words with his own series of emoticons. After sending the message, Steve places his phone on charge and goes back to reading, finding himself unable to focus because he keeps thinking about the text. Shaking his head, Steve sets his book aside and turns off the light, settling down underneath of the covers and falling asleep with a smile on his face.


	7. July 4th, 2014 (Part 1)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Listening to: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=buEpdGc2R78
> 
> This chapter was so long that I had to spilt it into two omf
> 
> Featured song: “Call Me Maybe” by Carly Rae Jepsen

“HAPPY BIRTHDAY STEVE!”

“Wha—oof!” Steve exclaims, half-awake when Nat jumps on him, her entire body weight landing on his side. He groans and she laughs, wrapping her arms tightly around Steve’s torso while he thoroughly regrets giving Nat the spare key to his room.

“Happy birthday, Steve,” Nat repeats softly, rolling off Steve once she finishes speaking.

Steve smiles even though she can’t see. “Thanks Nat.” He untangles himself from the covers, sitting up in bed and blinking against the brightness of the morning light entering his room through the open curtains. Steve shakes his head and looks to his right, finding Nat next to him with her legs tucked underneath of her body and a wide grin plastered on her face, which causes Steve to pause for there’s only one reason why Nat would be wearing that particular expression.

“You’re up to something,” Steve says, suspicion creeping into his tone.

Nat’s grin falters and she furrows her brow. “No, I’m not.”

Steve raises a challenging eyebrow and Natasha mirrors his expression. Their stare off is soon broken when the door opens and Sam pokes his head, glancing around the room and grinning when he locates Steve.

“Hey, there’s the birthday boy,” Sam greets, entering the room fully and shutting the door behind him. He kicks off his shoes and climbs into the bed, settling down next to Natasha and handing Steve the medium sized box in his hands. “Happy birthday, man.”

“What’s this?” Steve inquires as he accepts the box from Sam.

“It’s a present, dumb butt,” Sam says with a grin. “We didn’t get the chance to wrap it before we came here.”

“You guys didn’t have to get me anything,” Steve says, glancing between the present and his two friends.

“We wanted to,” Natasha says before she eagerly gestures towards the present. “Open it.”

Steve shakes his head and smiles, grateful that he has the two of them in his life. He opens the lid to the box and immediately slams it back down once he sees what is inside.

“Return this!” Steve exclaims, feeling his cheeks warm with embarrassment.

Natasha erupts into laughter, complete with a knee slap and all. “You should appreciate that, Stevie. It took Sam and I forever to find you the perfect dildo.”

“Happy twenty-second,” Sam adds his face alight with amusement.

“Get out,” Steve says before shoving the box towards Natasha. “And take the damn dildo with you.”

“Fine, don’t accept our generosity,” Nat says teasingly, taking the box from Steve and climbing off the bed.

“Out—both of you go on,” Steve says again as he gestures towards the door.

“Don’t worry, we’re going,” Nat says. “Oh, make sure you’re ready in an hour—Sam and I have a fun day planned!”

“Does it involve more dildos?” Steve asks warily.

“No—it _should_ , but it doesn’t,” Nat confirms and Steve mentally sighs in relief.

“Remember, one hour,” Sam says, hopping off the bed and following Natasha out of the room, shutting the door behind them with a quiet click.

Steve blows out a breath and falls back against his pillows, wondering what else the day has in store for him.

*

“Are you ready for your birthday outing, Mr. SquarePants?” Sam asks as soon as Steve slides into the backseat of his car.

“I guess,” Steve says, still wary of what his friends could possibly have planned.

“Aw, don’t be like that! We’re starting off today with an all-time classic—Mini Golf!”

Steve snorts. “Sam, no matter how many times we play, you still suck at it.”

“Okay, sure, on any _normal_ day. _But_ , I have a feeling that today is my lucky day.”

“Forty bucks says Nat kicks your ass.”

“Dude!”

“Alright,” Nat says as she climbs into the car. “Let’s get this party started!” She waits a beat before adding, “Get it? Because it’s your birthday.”

“We know, Nat,” Steve says.

Nat gives him a sly smile before shutting her door. “To the golf course, my love,” she says to Sam in a dramatic tone.

“As you wish, malady,” Sam responds, equally dramatic as he puts his car in gear and backs out of the parking space.

*

_“I threw a wish in the well. Don’t ask me, I’ll never tell. I looked to you as it fell and now you’re in my way.”_

“Oh no, Nat, don’t you dare start this again,” Sam warns. When this song first came out a few years ago, Sam expressed his dislike of it so naturally Natasha played it on repeat for three months straight.

Nat turns to Sam with a grin on her face. _“—I wasn’t looking for this, but now you’re in my way. Your stare was holding—ripped jeans, skin was showing. Hot night, wind was blowing.”_

_“Where you think you’re going, baby?”_ Steve joins in.

“Steve, no!” Sam says.

_“Hey, I just met you, and this is crazy. But, here’s my number, so call me maybe,”_ Steve and Nat harmonize while wearing matching grins. _“It’s hard to look right at you, baby. But, here’s my number, so call me maybe? Hey, I just met you, and this crazy. But, here’s my number, so call me maybe. And all the other boys try to chase me. But, here’s my number, so call me maybe.”_

Sam sighs heavily, shaking his head in disappointment.

*

“And, with that, Sam owes me forty bucks.”

Sam stares at the scorecard in his hands with a gaping expression. “Wha—? How?”

Nat shrugs, unable to keep the smug look off her face. “What can I say? I’m just that good.”

Sam grumbles, tucking the scorecard into his back pocket before reaching for his wallet.

*

Steve is sitting in the car waiting for his friends to come out of McDonald’s with their food (Sam offered to pay for everything and turned down Steve’s attempts at trying to pay for his own food), when his phone chimes. He pulls out the device and finds he has a message from Bucky.

_**“Happy birthday, Steve!”** _ it reads.

Steve smiles down at his phone and responds, **_“Thank you! Are you going to be coming to AJ’s with us tonight?”_ ** He sends the text and gets a response a few seconds later.

**_“Of course! I wouldn’t miss it for the world! I wanted to come out with you guys today, but no one would switch shifts with me :(“_ **

_**“Don’t worry about it. Duty calls.”** _

_**“That it does. Hey, I hope you don’t mind my sister tagging along tonight. She really wants to meet you.”** _

Steve smiles wider. ** _“I’m flattered and looking forward to meeting her too.”_**

**_“Great! Unfortunately, my break is over and I must return to the kitchen.”_ **

**_“Alright, I’ll see you tonight?”_ **

**_“You will.”_ **

“Aw, Steve, you’re smiling,” Nat says as she and Sam climb back into the car. “Did Bucky send you a dick pic?”

“Natasha!” Steve exclaims, embarrassed all over again, while Natasha cackles to herself.

*

_“Before you came into my life, I missed you so bad. I missed you so bad. I missed you so, so_ —oh, goddammit Nat! Now that song is stuck in my head!” Sam exclaims angrily a few hours later.

Natasha grins and Steve laughs, still unable to fathom Sam’s hatred of the song.

*

“I still can’t believe that you own your own shop, Steve,” Nat says for the eighth time as they drive past Captain Steve’s Bait and Tackle on their way to the dollar store.

_“Let it go, let it go, please for the sake of my sanity. Let it go, let it go, please for the love of god,”_ Steve sings to the tune of “Let it go,” which causes Natasha to sputter in surprise and Sam to burst into laughter.

*

“You ready for this?”

Steve narrows his eyes. “Do your worst, Wilson.”

“Are you two being serious right now?” Natasha says, exasperated.

“There are no friends in Connect Four, Natasha,” Sam says, without taking his eyes off Steve’s. “You of all people should know this.”

Steve watches from the corner of his eye as Natasha throws her hands into the air in defeat before wandering back into the hotel room, muttering about how boys are dumb and that she doesn’t have time for this.

*

Steve has just finished getting ready for dinner when his phone goes off. He picks up the device and checks his messages, finding four unopened messages, three of which are memes from Natasha _(he knows because he overheard her telling Sam about it after the Connect Four game, which Steve won)_ and one from Bucky. He opens Bucky’s message and skims it over.

**_“We’re already at the restaurant because Becks didn’t want to be late and there’s a huge line for the tables,”_** it reads.

**_“Okay. It doesn’t surprise me—technically, it is a national holiday lol. We’re just finishing up now and we’ll be there soon”_ ** Steve responds.

**_“Alright. I can’t wait to see you.”_ **

Steve smiles. ** _“Yeah—same to you.”_**

“Steve! You ready to go?” Natasha calls after knocking on Steve’s door.

“Yeah, I’m ready,” Steve responds, pocketing his phone before grabbing his wallet and room key. He opens the door to his room and finds Natasha standing in the doorway with a smile on her face. Steve holds out his arm and she takes it, allowing him to lead her to the car where Sam is already waiting for them.


	8. July 4th, 2014 (Part 2)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Two chapters in one week what???
> 
> Listening to: “The Don Killuminati: The 7 Days Theory” Full Album by 2Pac (Makaveli)
> 
> Warning: Implied PTSD and brief mention of gore

“Are your contacts bothering you?” Natasha asks, watching as Steve checks over his eyes in her compact mirror.

“A little,” he answers without looking up. “I think it’s just because I haven’t worn them in a while and I haven’t need them on the trip yet.”

“Okay,” she says. “I have your glasses in my purse in case you need them.”

Steve nods and closes the mirror and hands it back to her right as Sam pulls into AJ’s parking lot. “Thanks Nat.”

Natasha gives him a small smile, accepting the mirror and sliding it into her purse. “No problem. Just let me know if you need them.”

“I will,” Steve answers.

Sam parks and turns off the ignition before the three of them climb out of the car. Steve scans the parking lot, spotting Bucky (and whom he presumes is his sister) sitting on a curb outside of the restaurant. He’s about to shout for Bucky but Sam beats him to it.

“Ey yo, Barnes!” Sam yells, throwing his arms in the air and waving widely.

Both Bucky’s and his sister’s heads snap up at sound of their name being shouted. It doesn’t take the pair long to spot Steve, Sam, and Natasha on the other side of the parking lot. Bucky smiles widely and waves in greeting while his sister nods and gives a small wave of her own.

Bucky rises from the curb and walks towards them with his sister not far behind. He reaches them first, his sister stopping a short distance away, and hugs both Sam and Natasha. When he releases Natasha, he doesn’t wait long before pulling Steve into him, wrapping his arms around Steve’s torso and curling his hands against his back.

“Hi,” Bucky says, resting his chin on Steve’s shoulder.

“Hi,” Steve responds, wrapping his arms around Bucky’s shoulders and holding him close, thoroughly enjoying the feeling of having Bucky pressed against him like this.

Bucky’s sister clears her throat after a moment, causing Bucky to flinch and release Steve with a sheepish look on his face. He turns away from Steve to face his sister, though he doesn’t remove his right arm from where it’s still curled around Steve’s torso. “Becca, this is Natasha, Sam, and Steve,” he says, gesturing to each person when he says their name. “Guys, this is my sister, Rebecca.”

Rebecca’s eyes glance over everyone, her gaze lingering on Steve as a sly smile forms on her lips. She looks to her brother and says, “You’re right, Bucky, he is cute.”

_“Rikki,”_ Bucky hisses, while Steve tries his best not to smile like an idiot.

Natasha grins delighted. “Oh, you and I are going to get along just fine,” she says to Rebecca, who matches Nat’s grin with one of her own.

“Barnes? Is there anyone named Barnes here? Your table is ready,” one of the hosts calls.

“That’s us,” Rebecca says. She turns and leads the way to the front doors, greeting the host with a grin and following them to the back of the restaurant.

Once they arrive at their table, everyone settles into their seats. Sam sits at the head of the table with Nat on his right and Steve next to her while Rebecca is on Sam’s left with Bucky beside his sister. The host passes out their menus and assures them that their waiter will be with them shortly before they walk away.

“Yo, this place is expensive as shit,” Sam practically exclaims after opening the menu. He turns to Natasha and says, “Order the cheapest thing you find.”

“Sam, that’s water,” Natasha says, sounding baffled.

Sam raises a knowing eyebrow and Natasha rolls her eyes.

Sometime later, the waiter approaches their table and apologizes for taking so long since the place is so busy. They reassure them that it’s no trouble at all before giving the waiter their drink and food orders since by then everyone knew what they wanted.

“So, Rebecca,” Natasha begins as soon as the waiter leaves. “Do you happen to have any embarrassing stories about our favorite fella here?”

Rebecca grins wickedly. “Do I ever,” she says, resting her forearms on the table as a thoughtful look crosses her face. “Okay, here’s one. When Bucky was sixteen, he started applying for jobs so he could start saving money for college earlier than me, Anne, and Jane did. It took him about six months before he landed an interview and when he came home afterwards, Anne was there. So, he starts telling her all about it and out of nowhere, she starts laughing. When he asks her what’s wrong, she goes, _“Did you jizz all over your pants last night?”_ ”

Natasha bursts into laughter. “Oh my god. Did he walk around like that all day?”

“Yes!” Rebecca exclaims before laughing herself. “He starts freaking out and yelling, _“It was a donut—it was a fucking powdered donut,”_ but she didn’t believe him.”

Sam covers his mouth with his hand in an attempt to mask his laughter, glancing over at Bucky before shaking his head. “That’s awful, man.”

“But, wait! It’s gets worse,” Rebecca says, drawing everyone’s attention back to her. “Right as Bucky is regretting his life choices, _Jane_ comes home. She realizes what’s going on, laughs in his face, and proceeds to call myself and Kira to tell us all about it.” She pauses to take a breath. “We didn’t let him forget about that for like a year _and_ surprisingly, he got the job.”

Natasha hums. “They must have _come_ running for him,” she says, grinning.

Bucky sighs heavily while Sam, Natasha, and Rebecca start laughing again. He looks over at Steve, who is trying to keep the amusement off his face, and shakes his head before leaning forward in his seat and whispering, “Sorry about my sister.”

Steve bites down on his lower lip to keep himself from grinning. “It’s okay,” he whispers back. “I still like you.”

Bucky huffs out a laugh and smiles. He nudges his foot against Steve’s and Steve finally lets the grin form on his face as he nudges Bucky back.

*

“It’s beautiful out here at night,” Steve comments as he listens to the sound of the waves crashing into each other.

“It really is, isn’t it?” Bucky says, lacing his fingers through Steve’s and pressing against his side in an attempt to ward off the evening chill.

After dinner was finished and they had a few minutes alone, Bucky asked Steve if he wanted to go out to the beach and see the fireworks—not only are they best seen from there, but Bucky also knows of a spot where they’ll be able to see them without being bothered by the crowd. Feeling spontaneous, Steve quickly agreed and after all but ditching his friends and Rebecca, he and Bucky made the trek out to the beach on Bucky’s bike, managed to snag one of the last open spaces in the busy parking lot and discover that no one else has yet found Bucky’s spot.

Steve smiles to himself when Bucky rests his chin on his shoulder as they stand huddled together in silence, enjoying being in each other’s company when the first fireworks light up the night sky. Bucky jumps, releasing Steve and moving away though he doesn’t go far.

“Bucky? Are you alright?” Steve asks concerned, unsure if he should reach out for Bucky or not.

“Sorry,” Bucky says, flinching as more fireworks go off. “I guess I’m just not used to loud noises yet.”

“Do you want to leave?” Steve asks.

“No,” Bucky says quickly. “No, I’ll be fine. I just—I just need a minute.”

Steve nods his head, slowly reaching out taking Bucky’s hand within his own. “Take all of the time that you need.”

Bucky looks shocked, swallowing hard before nodding. “. . . Thanks.”

They go back to watching the fireworks and Steve can tell that there’s a shift in the atmosphere around them, though he can’t exactly pinpoint what’s changed. Bucky is still tensed next to him, occasionally flinching as the fireworks go off, but remaining quiet. Knowing words won’t help, Steve gently strokes Bucky’s thumb with his own, offering silent support and letting Bucky know that he’ll be here if he wants to talk.

_“Steve,”_ Bucky says, breaking the silence.

Steve turns his head to face Bucky, mouth opened and ready to speak though he doesn’t get the chance for Bucky’s lips are on his. He gasps surprised against Bucky’s mouth and Bucky takes the opportunity to deepen the kiss, wrapping his arms tightly around Steve’s neck and pressing against him.

Before Steve can respond, Bucky is pulling away and Steve doesn’t let him get too far. He surges forward, joining their lips together again, encouraged by the way that Bucky moans against his mouth, hands tugging at Steve’s hair when Steve’s hands find themselves on Bucky’s ass, squeezing once before pulling their bodies together, so close that there’s no space between them.

“You wanna to go back to the hotel?” Steve asks once they part for air, voice low and husky, his limbs feel as though they’re on fire.

“I’d thought you’d never ask,” Bucky says, letting a small smile cross his face before he leans up and connects their mouths together again.

*

Steve closes the door to his hotel room before shoving Bucky against it, connecting their mouths together and biting down on Bucky’s bottom lip, causing him to moan. They kiss messily, Steve’s hands braced against the door by Bucky’s head while Bucky’s are gripping Steve’s waist. Bucky grinds against Steve, brushing their erections together, which causes them to moan against the other’s lips.

Steve shifts, breaking the kiss and leading Bucky away from the door before shoving him against the bed. Bucky falls backwards, flopping against the mattress once before he catches himself on his elbows, and slowly slides up the length of the bed, keeping his eyes connected to Steve’s the entire time. He looks a right mess, hot and panting, and Steve can’t help the satisfaction that blooms inside of him at being the one to reduce Bucky to this state.

_“Steve,”_ Bucky breathes out, looking at Steve from underneath of his eyelashes gaze heated and wanting.

A slow smirk finds its way onto Steve’s face and he quickly pulls of his shirt, tossing it aside and watching as Bucky’s eyes roam over his torso, licking his lips at the newly exposed skin. Steve crawls onto the bed, keeping his eyes locked with Bucky’s. Bucky looks away first, in favor of pulling off his shirt and tossing it onto the floor. He reaches for Steve with both hands before pausing, looking down at his left hand with an expression that Steve can’t identify.

Confused, Steve follows his gaze and that’s when he realizes for the first time that Bucky has a prosthetic arm. Bucky must have noticed him looking because he tries to shrink into himself, drawing his left arm to his chest and using his right arm to try to cover it.

“Hey, no,” Steve says softly, carefully drawing Bucky’s arms away from his chest. He raises Bucky’s left hand to his lips and places a gentle kiss on his knuckles, which causes Bucky to look up at him with a baffled expression, seeming surprised that Steve isn’t kicking him out, which briefly leads Steve to wonder if that’s happened to Bucky before.

Steve quickly banishes that thought from his mind. “Why didn’t you tell me?” he asks gently, his fingertips ghosting up the length of Bucky’s left arm.

“I get a lot of questions about it,” Bucky says after a few moments of silence. “I—uh, I lost my arm overseas. My squadron and I were ambushed and long story short, I jumped on a grenade—it was either that or let everyone get blown to bits.” He shrugs. “My first prosthetic was metal, but when I got back to the states, I qualified for an experimental Stark Industries program. They replaced the metal with arm with a model that is hooked up to my nervous system so that I can experience the same sensations as my right arm.”

Bucky trails the fingers of his left hand across Steve’s check, forcing the latter to suppress a shiver at the feather light touch. He sighs and lowers his hand. “I didn’t tell you because I thought that you wouldn’t like me anymore because of it.”

Steve sucks in a breath. “Bucky,” he begins, curling his fingers around Bucky’s. “Your arm is a part of you. How could I not love it?”

Bucky’s eyes widen. He’s staring at Steve in complete shock and in that moment, Steve realizes what he just admitted.

“You love me?” Bucky asks, sounding completely floored as if he’s unable to believe that this is actually happening.

Steve nods his head and smiles. “I do. I love you.”

Bucky surges forward, slotting his mouth against Steve’s and saying, _“Oh god, Steve, I love you too”_ in between kisses. He wraps his arms around Steve’s neck and leans backward, laying down on the bed with Steve hovering over him.

“ _Fuck me._ Fuck me right now,” he says and Steve happily obliges.


	9. July 5th, 2014

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Since this chapter and the next one are kinda short, I’m uploading them both today so you guys have enough content! I hope you don’t mind! 
> 
> Listening to: “All Eyez on Me” Full Album by 2Pac
> 
> Featured song: “Skandalouz” by 2Pac (feat. Nate Dogg)

Steve emerges from the bathroom the next morning after removing his contacts (which he accidentally slept in) and relieving himself. He looks up from where he’s drying his hands on a towel and notices Bucky sitting up in bed with a photograph in his hand. Steve sets the towel on the table and walks over to the bed, crawling under the covers and placing a kiss to Bucky’s bare shoulder.

Bucky smiles, but he doesn’t take his eyes away from the photo. Steve rests his chin on Bucky’s shoulder and looks at the picture, discovering that it’s an old one of him and Peggy from high school that was taken not too long after they started dating.

“Where’d you find that?” Steve asks curiously. He thought that he’d gotten rid of all of his mementos from his time with Peggy, but evidently, he missed one.

“It fell out of your book—the one on the nightstand,” Bucky says before gesturing to the photo. “Are these friends of yours? They look like they’re really happy.”

Steve chews on his bottom lip, unsure of how he should approach this subject. “That’s me and Peggy,” he says finally. “She was my best friend . . . and my ex-girlfriend.”

Bucky furrows his brow. “That’s you?”

Steve snorts quietly. “That’s what you’re focused on?”

“Sorry, it’s just . . . you look so different,” Bucky says.

“I get that a lot,” Steve says amused before he sobers up. “When I was younger, I was always smaller than everyone else, mostly because I spent nine months out of the year in bed with some sort of illness. Because of my stature and mouth, I was bullied a lot growing up.” He nods to the photo. “Peggy was the only one who treated me like I was worth a damn and when a neighbor I _thought_ I could trust outed me to the entire school, she was the only person to stick up for me.” And even after Steve enrolled in an NIH program that allowed for him to get corrective surgery on his spine, which later enabled him to grow, and gain muscle (even though it’s not as much as some guys his age can maintain), Peggy was with him every step of the way, encouraging him to do what makes him happy.

Bucky hums. “She sounds amazing.”

“She was, but we broke up a few years ago. She was in America on a visa and when it expired, she was unable to renew it. She went back to England and we thought we could do long distance, but it wasn’t working for us so we ended things.” He and Peggy tried remaining friendly with each other, but it was hard to move on knowing that the other was just a quick Skype call away. One of the hardest things Steve has ever had to do was delete Peggy’s contact information and throw away everything that reminded him of their relationship.

Bucky shifts, setting the photo on the nightstand before wrapping his flesh arm around Steve’s neck and drawing him up for a kiss. His hands roam Steve’s body before settling one on Steve’s waist and the other one in the middle of his back. Bucky moves, carefully laying Steve out on the mattress and hovering over him without breaking their kiss.

Steve pulls away panting after sometime, pressing his forehead to Bucky’s as he tries to catch his breath. “I love you.”

Bucky smiles widely. “I love you too,” he responds before leaning down and connecting their mouths together again.

*

Natasha smirks when she opens the door and discovers Steve standing on the other side. She crosses her arms and leans against the doorframe. “Hey sailor,” she greets, her smirk widening in a way that Steve didn’t know was possible.

“Hey . . .” he says trailing off. Steve shuffles his feet, suddenly feeling nervous under her watchful gaze. “Sam texted me and said that he needed more wipes.”

“I am not pooping,” Sam calls from the bathroom.

Natasha rolls her eyes. “Sure you’re not,” she says sarcastically.

She moves aside so Steve can walk into the room and deliver the wipes to Sam, who sticks his hand out of the bathroom door and calls out a chipper thank you when he has what he needs. Steve moves to sit on the couch, gaze automatically locking with Natasha’s. She’s staring at him from her place on the bed with a neutral expression, though the look in her eyes suggests that she knows something that he doesn’t.

Before Steve can question her, Sam exits the bathroom and settles next to Natasha, leaning heavily against her side while her arms twine around him. He takes a sip of his drink before grinning at Steve.

“So,” Sam begins. “How was your solo venture with ol’ Bucky Boy last night? Was it everything you could have dreamed of?”

Steve shrugs, deciding to keep his friends in the dark about what really happened otherwise it’ll be all they’ll talk about for the next three weeks. “We hung out, talked, and really got to know each other. It was nice.”

“Bullshit, I heard you two fucking,” Natasha blurts out.

Sam spits out his drink in surprise while Steve tries to mask his horrified expression. He didn’t think they were that loud.

“Yeah, you were,” Nat continues as if she read Steve’s mind. “I could hear you over Sam’s snoring, and it sounded _good_. Nobody moans like that if they’re not getting it good and you really stuck it to him. I know it was you too because I know what you sound like when you’re being fucked and it was not like that.”

Sam spits out his drink again and starts choking.

“And I bet that if I go next door, not only will I find a bunch of used condoms lying around, but I’ll also find Bucky naked in your bed. His motorcycle is in the parking lot—I know he’s still there,” she concludes, slapping Sam on the back while he sputters and struggles to catch his breath.

“No, you won’t,” Steve says, crossing his arms over his chest as he leans against the back of the sofa.

Natasha raises an eyebrow and Steve stares her down, all while making a mental note to empty the trash and tell Bucky to put on some pants, the latter being something he never thought he’d have to do.

*

Steve and Bucky are in the early stages of getting ready for a late lunch picnic at Memorial Park when Bucky turns on the radio and discovers they’re planning throwback songs from the nineties.

_“ . . . Ready to bust in the city— you don’t know who to trust, but bitches lookin scandalous_   
_Scandalous . . . she’s so scandalous, she’s so scandalous . . ._   
_Scandalous . . . she’s so scandalous, she’s so scandalous . . ._   
_Scandalous . . . she’s so scandalous, she’s so scandalous . . .”_

Bucky smirks and starts dancing along. Steve watches him shake his ass, and it’s obvious that he’s just showing off but it’s not like Steve is complaining.

“If you keep that up, we’re not gonna make it on time,” Steve says, amused.

Bucky hums. “Maybe I don’t want to go anymore? Maybe I want to stay here and rest because you wore me out last night? And this morning. And thirty minutes ago.”

Steve shakes his head, unable to keep the smile off his face. “I’m gonna take a shower.”

“Would you like some company?” Bucky asks.

Steve hums, titling his head up slightly. “You bet that pretty little ass of yours I would.”

The heated look Bucky gives him in response is well worth the knowing expressions from Natasha and Sam when he and Bucky arrive to the park over an hour late.


	10. July 6th, 2014

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Listening to: “All Eyez on Me” Full Album by 2Pac
> 
> Featured song: “Uptown Girl” by Billy Joel
> 
> Warning: panic attack and near death mention

Steve is sitting in his room alone reading (Bucky spent the night again, but Sam stole him away earlier so they could go to a shooting range in Berlin, Maryland to test the other’s skills) when Natasha lets herself in to Steve’s room, climbing onto the bed and settling next to him. Steve looks over at her with a raised eyebrow, taking note of her pinched expression and slight frown.

Natasha looks down at the blankets and clenches the fabric between her fists. “I really hope these sheets have been changed,” she says after a moment.

“Yeah, the housekeepers came in while Bucky and I were having lunch,” Steve confirms. He marks his page and sets his book aside, giving his friend his full attention. “Is everything okay?”

Natasha worries her lower lip between her teeth, closing her eyes and resting her head against the wall. “No,” she says, voice breaking as though she’s going to cry any second.

Steve is immediately on alert for Natasha rarely sounds like this. “Hey, he says gently. “You know you can tell me anything.”

“I know,” she says. Nat opens her eyes and turns her head so she can look Steve directly in the eye. “Steve . . . I think I’m pregnant.”

Steve’s eyebrows fly to his hairline in surprise. “Are you sure?”

“Not entirely,” she answers. “But my period was supposed to come this week, and before you ask, it’s _always_ on time.”

“Have you and Sam been using condoms?”

Natasha nods. “I think it might have broken though.” She pauses. “There was one day where I thought it seemed lighter than usual when I threw it away, but I dismissed it as my imagination.” Natasha lets out a shaky breath and presses the heels of her hands against her eyes.

“Do you have Sam’s keys?”

Natasha lowers her hands and looks at Steve in confusion. “Yeah. Why?”

“Because I’m going to take you to the store, we’re gonna buy some pregnancy tests, and find out if you are pregnant or not.”

Natasha nods slowly. “Okay.”

*

They take Sam’s car to the dollar store after Natasha washes up and steals once of Steve’s hoodies (she likes wearing oversized clothing when she’s stressed out and once joked that she only liked them for their clothes). Steve parks in front of the store and he and Natasha go in, buying three tests, vitamins, and ice cream because Natasha expressed that she’s going to need a lot of it. They check out and Steve barely manages to resist the urge to punch the cashier after he spends the entire time giving him and Natasha a knowing look that borderlines creepy. Throughout the whole ordeal, Natasha is silent.

Steve leads Natasha out to the car, and they climb in after placing their bags in the back. They settle into their seats and slide on their belts. Natasha looks small and fragile next to Steve and it breaks his heart to see his friend like this. Internally, he’s freaking out, but he knows he needs to be strong for Natasha and even though she can probably see through his front (she’s really good at reading people), she either doesn’t care enough to call him on it or she doesn’t want both of them messed up and unable to do anything before Sam and Bucky get back.

“What if he breaks up with me?” Natasha blurts as soon as Steve puts the key in the ignition.

Steve flinches, not expecting Natasha to speak and especially at such a high volume. “What do you mean?”

“Say I am pregnant and I tell Sam, and he breaks up with me,” Natasha says, sounding frightened. “What if he doesn’t want me to keep it—I’m not even sure if I would even want to keep it and—”

_“Natalia, breathe,”_ Steve says sharply, causing Natasha’s head to snap towards him, gaze wild and unfocused while her breaths come out in labored pants. Natasha doesn’t like being called by her real name, but it’s the only thing that can bring her back from a panic attack (which he first discovered after Clint was wounded overseas and nearly died on the operating table). His expression softens and he says in a gentler tone, “You’re hyperventilating. Breathe.”

Slowly, Natasha regains control of her breathing, eyes focusing on Steve’s face as she comes back to herself. He reaches out for Natasha and she takes his hand within both of hers, squeezing so hard that Steve is surprised his bones aren’t breaking.

“Natasha,” Steve says, waiting until Natasha’s gaze locks with his before continuing. “Sam loves you. He won’t abandon you.”

“How do you know?” she counters.

“I’m Steve Rogers. I know everything.”

Natasha remains silent, her eyes searching Steve’s face for answers he probably cannot give.

*

_“. . . in love with an uptown girl. You know I’ve seen in her uptown world. She’s getting tired of her high class toys . . .”_

“Turn that shit off.”

Steve complies and his worry doubles, for Natasha just asked him to turn off one of her favorite songs.

*

Natasha quietly hops onto the table next to where Steve is sitting, her posture ridged and tensed. She’d been in the bathroom for the past ten minutes while she figured out how to take the first of the three pregnancy tests. Nat blows out a breath and clasps her hands in her lap, appearing as though she’s trying her hardest not to start twitching.

Steve lowers his phone from where he’s been playing Angry Birds and looks up at his friend. “Good?”

“Good.”

Steve sets his phone on the table and places a hand on Natasha’s knee, gently stroking her covered skin while she slowly relaxes. “What do we do now?” he asks.

Natasha gives him a tight smile. “We wait.”

*

“It’s positive.”

Steve stares at Natasha, who is staring at the pregnancy test in silent shock. She’s already taken the other two and they both showed the same result.

“It’s positive,” she repeats in complete disbelief. “Steve, it’s . . . I’m gonna have a baby.” She sinks down on the mattress next to Steve with the test clutched tightly in her left hand. Nat takes a shaky breath and reaches out blindly, grabbing Steve’s hand with her own and lacing their fingers together. She squeezes his hand as she takes another breath, trying to keep herself calm. “I need you to promise me something.”

“Anything,” Steve says as he squeezes Natasha’s hand back.

“Promise me that you won’t tell Bucky or Sam—especially not Sam. Don’t tell anyone until I’m ready.”

“You have my word,” Steve vows.

Natasha gulps. She uncurls her left hand and lets the test fall to the floor, the plastic barely making a sound when it hits the carpet. “What am I gonna do, Steve?”

“Research,” Steve says after a few quiet moments, despite knowing that the question was rhetorical. “Were going to look up and buy everything you’ll need and hide it underneath of my sink. When we go back to New York, I’ll hide it in my duffel and we’ll keep it in my room.”

“What if Sam finds it?” Natasha asks.

“I’ll say it was Peggy’s and forgot it was down there,” Steve says simply.

“Sam would never believe that . . . unless . . .” Natasha turns to Steve for confirmation.

“It was a scare,” Steve explains. “She got her period an hour before going to the store.”

Natasha snorts. “I wish that would happen to me.” She sighs and shifts, curling her arms around Steve’s bicep, resting her head against his shoulder.

“I’m scared,” she whispers.

Steve rests his cheek against Nat’s head. “I know, but you won’t be alone. I’m gonna be with you every step of the way.”

Natasha nods her head before pressing her face into Steve’s shoulder and if Steve feels wetness against his shirt, he doesn’t bring attention to it.


	11. July 7th, 2014

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Listening to: “Trouble Man 40th Anniversary Expanded Edition" Full Album by Marvin Gaye

Steve’s alarm goes off at seven the next morning, causing him to groan at being awoken from his deep sleep. He moves his right arm, feeling around the surface of his nightstand until he finds his phone and shuts the damn thing off. He yawns and tries shifting positions, only to find that he is unable to move. Steve frowns and looks down, finding that Bucky’s head is pillowed on his chest, left arm thrown over Steve’s waist while the right one is trapped under his body. He carefully moves his arm from around Bucky and starts running his fingers through Bucky’s hair, unable to stop the grin that forms when Bucky lets out a soft whine and burrows closer in his sleep.

He’s still lying in bed (he doesn’t have the heart to wake Bucky) when the sound of his doorknob turning draws his attention away from his sleeping lover. Steve watches Natasha silently slip into the room, shutting the door with a quiet click. She blows out a breath and looks around before noticing that Steve is awake. She waves to him in greeting before heading into the bathroom, and Steve hopes that she’s doing all right this morning.

Yesterday, after Nat found out she is pregnant, Steve drove her out to the Walmart in Pocomoke. Natasha was tense for a majority of the journey, even though the trip didn’t take long and they were back on the Island hiding everything they bought underneath Steve’s sink before they knew it. When Sam and Bucky returned to the hotel a few hours later, Steve and Nat acted like nothing was amiss. Nat _did_ have a bit of queasiness but she dismissed it and claimed she ate some bad sushi for lunch (in reality, they had Subway, but Nat has a history of being unlucky when it comes to fish).

“Hey.”

Steve is pulled from his thoughts at the sound of Bucky’s voice. He looks over and finds Bucky gazing at him, looking happy and content. “Hey,” he responds before leaning down and placing a kiss on Bucky’s forehead, watching as a lazy smile forms on his lips.

“Aw, you guys are so cute.”

Bucky flinches and turns around in Steve’s arms, looking for the source of the voice. Steve follows his gaze and finds Natasha leaning against the bathroom door, her arms crossed and a mischievous grin on her face.

“What are you doing?” Steve asks amused.

“Just enjoying the show,” she says casually. “You’re free to continue, you know?”

“Oh no, not while you’re here.”

Natasha laughs. “Well, don’t have too much fun. Rebecca will be here in an hour or so and we can all finally go to Ocean City,” she says before making her exit.

When the door closes and they’re alone once again, Bucky turns to Steve with a curious expression on his face. “So does Nat just come and go when she pleases or . . .” Bucky begins, trailing off.

Steve shakes his head. “No. She and Sam have my spare key in case I lose mine, just like I have theirs,” he says, nodding towards the door. “That was the first time she used it and it was probably because Sam was hogging the toilet again.” Steve doesn’t like lying to Bucky, especially since their relationship is so new, but he’s sure Bucky will understand if Natasha decides to announce her pregnancy—at least, he’s hoping Bucky will understand.

Bucky’s eyes roam Steve’s face and for half a second, Steve thinks he’s caught, but Bucky simply shrugs, silently accepting his explanation. He rolls away from Steve, climbing off the bed and stretching. “I call first shower,” he says, wandering over to the bathroom and pausing in the doorway. “I’d offer you to accompany me, but if we’re not ready when Rebecca gets here, she’ll come looking and won’t ever let us forget it if she finds us in a compromising position.”

“You’re right,” Steve agrees. “Besides, I wouldn’t be able to resist you wet, naked, and begging for me to fuck you.”

Bucky groans. “ _Steve_ , don’t say things like that,” he says with a slight whine to his tone.

Steve simply grins.

*

Steve, Bucky, Sam, and Nat are sitting by the pool with their bags packed when the sound of a horn blaring causes their heads to whip towards the parking lot. Parked in the space closest to the pool is Rebecca, half of her body hanging out of the window as she waves to everyone.

“Get in losers, we’re going shopping!” she calls, while wearing a grin.

“Ha! Joke’s on you—I already made that reference four days ago,” Bucky says, laughing when Rebecca flicks him off.

*

_“Ocean City, here we come! La la la la . . .”_

*

“The last spot in this busy ass parking lot is all mine, oh yeah!” Rebecca says gleefully as she smoothly parks her vehicle in the lone free space that is wedged between two minivans. She puts her car in park and laughs at the other cars hopelessly driving around the lot in search of a space.

Bucky groans. “Geez Beck, why are you so fucking weird,” he mumbles before burying his face into Steve’s shoulder. He spent the entire car ride dozing against Steve, while Nat conversed with Rebecca (Steve contributed occasionally), and Sam had his headphones in and attempted to dance along to his “Ready to Groove” playlist, as he calls it.

Rebecca twists in her seat and frowns at her brother, who has yet to move from where he’s molded himself to Steve’s side. “You can sleep whenever you want to, dumbass. Now get out of the car and enjoy the Ocean City air.”

Bucky sighs heavily and pulls away from Steve before wincing. “Sorry I, uh, kinda drooled all over you.”

Steve glances at his right shoulder and notices a large, wet patch on his sleeve. “No problem,” he says with a shrug. “Hey Sam, do you have an extra shirt on you?”

“Yeah, hang on,” Sam slides off his backpack and unzips it, pulling out a plain white t-shirt and handing it to Steve.

Steve takes the shirt from Sam, and before pulling off the garment he’s currently wearing. He makes the mistake of glancing over at Bucky, noting the interested look on his face as his eyes roam Steve’s bare torso. A wicked grin crosses Steve’s face as he inclines his body towards Bucky’s. “Like what you see,” he mouths so his friends and Rebecca don’t hear what he’s saying.

Bucky licks his lips and bites down on the lower one. “I do,” he mouths in response, gazing at Steve as though he wants to jump him here and now.

“I swear if you two fuck in my backseat, I’m leaving your asses here.”

 _“Rebecca!”_ Bucky calls, surprised at his sister’s bluntness that effectively ruined their moment.

Rebecca rolls her eyes. “Oh please, you don’t think I don’t know? You come home smelling like sweat and sex, and wearing clothes that aren’t yours, _and_ you could barely walk when we went to dinner the other day. But, yes, James; you two aren’t totally fucking each other.”

“Have I mentioned how much I love your sister?” Natasha says after a brief pause, which causes Rebecca to grin and Bucky to roll his eyes.

Steve moves, putting on Sam’s shirt that’s a little big for him, fully aware of everyone’s eyes on him. He clears his throat awkwardly. “So where are we headed first?”

“The Dough Roller,” Natasha says. “Clint and I went there for lunch once and it was delicious.”

Steve nods before climbing out of the car. “To The Dough Roller it is.”

*

“What the fuck? Why do y’all keep taking me to these expensive ass restaurants? I got loans to pay,” Sam says with a frown once he gets a look at The Dough Roller’s menu.

 _“Sam, just be quiet and order your damn food,”_ Natasha practically hisses under her breath.

Sam frowns. “Fine,” he says, ordering a chicken sandwich after the waiter arrived at their table.

*

Bucky grabs a hold of Steve’s bicep and sucks in a breath. “I have two words for you: Candy Kitchen.”

Steve looks over at Bucky and grins at the pure excitement on his face. “You wanna go in?”

Bucky nods eagerly and Steve curls his arm around Bucky’s back before leading him into the store.

*

“Oh my god, is that an arcade?”

“Sam, the last time you went to an arcade, you and Steve spent over a hundred dollars.”

“Well, if Steve didn’t keep saying, _‘one more game; just one more game—’_ ”

“Come on, Sam. Walk away.”

“But, Natasha—”

“Walk away.”

*

“Steve,” Natasha says quietly. The two of them are sitting alone on a bench while the others are off buying smoothies.

“Yeah?” he asks.

“Do you think I’m being too harsh with Sam?”

Steve furrows his brow. “What do you mean?”

“It’s just . . . I keep snapping at him over the dumbest things. Like this morning, we got into a huge argument because he spilled water on the floor— _water_ , Steve.” Natasha sighs. “I know it’s just my hormones acting up, but Sam doesn’t know that and I’m afraid that I’ll end up driving him away because I’m afraid of telling him. I know I’m gonna have to now after what’s happened already. I just don’t know how to start.”

Steve thinks for a moment. “How about tomorrow morning, you and I sit down and try and come up with a plan on how to tell him?”

Natasha nods her head. “Okay—yeah. Thanks.”

“No problem,” Steve says, switching the subject once he notices the others heading back towards them.

*

“I can’t believe you threw up on that ride, Steve, it wasn’t even that fast.”

“Fuck off, Barnes. Now, I have to go buy a toothbrush.”

“Don’t forget the paste!”

*

They’re walking along the boardwalk when Steve notices Natasha move closer to Sam, grabbing onto his wrist and wrapping his arm around her shoulders while hers slips around his waist.

Sam tugs Natasha closer, placing a kiss on the crown of her head before turning around and looking at Steve with a confused expression.

Steve shrugs in response. Natasha is a private person and usually doesn’t like PDA, and but with their earlier conversation, he’s not surprised by her reaching out. Part of Steve wishes he could tell Sam what’s going on so he can stop looking so concerned, but he knows it’s not his place.

*

Steve is in the middle of kissing Bucky while they’re all resting on a bench when he notices something flash across his lids. He reluctantly pulls away and looks around confused before he spots Rebecca standing a few feet away with her phone in her hand and a grin on her face.

“Sorry, but that was so adorable, I just have to put it on Twitter,” she says.

“You have Twitter too?” Natasha asks curiously. “What’s your username? I want to follow you and retweet that.”

“It’s BeccaBarnes85,” Rebecca says. “What’s yours?”

“NatCat,” Natasha responds as she pulls her phone out of her purse.

Bucky huffs out a breath before placing his hands on either side of Steve’s face, drawing his attention away from the conversation and back to Bucky’s mouth on his.

*

“So exactly how much did those souvenirs cost?” Bucky asks his sister.

Rebecca purses her lips. “Not much. It was only like . . . fifty dollars’ worth? Maybe?”

Bucky raises an eyebrow. “You do realize it’s your turn to pay the rent right?”

Rebecca’s eyes widen and she looks down at her bags with horror written on her face. _“Shit.”_

*

Bucky is driving everyone back to Chincoteague long after the sun went down (Rebecca could barely keep her eyes open during dinner and practically threw the keys at her brother while demanding that he drive). Steve shifts since he’s been in the same position for at least half an hour and glances into the side mirror, finding Rebecca passed out and leaning her head against the window, Sam resting his head on Natasha’s chest, and Nat playing on her phone. Before he can look away, Natasha looks up from her device, meeting his gaze and giving him a small, grateful smile.

“Thank you,” she mouths out.

Steve nods to Natasha, watching her smile widen slightly before she returns to her phone. He then turns his attention back to the long, empty road ahead of them, raising his and Bucky’s joint hands to his mouth and placing a series of kisses on his knuckles, not missing the warm smile that crosses Bucky’s features.


	12. July 8th, 2014

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Listening to: “Control System” by Ab-Soul
> 
> Warning: mentions of being underwater and a panic attack

Sam pulls Steve aside while they’re at Food Lion picking up a few things. Steve turns to his friend, noting the concern clearly displayed on his features as he looks at Natasha, who is standing at the other end of the isle, trying to decide on what snacks she wants.

“Have you—” Sam begins, cutting himself off. He moves his eyes away from Natasha and meets Steve’s, a concerned dip in his brow. “Have you noticed that Natasha has been acting . . . different?”

Steve raises an eyebrow, unsure of where Sam is going with this. “Different how?”

“Maybe different is the wrong word. Let me rephrase,” Sam says. He takes a breath. “Did I do something to piss Natasha off?”

“What? No!” Steve practically exclaims, completely thrown by Sam’s words.

Sam throws his hands up in the air. “Well, I _obviously_ must have done something because she’s been short with me for the past few days and I don’t know what to do to fix it.”

“Sam, you’ve done nothing wrong,” Steve reassures.

“You think?”

“I _know_.”

Sam looks like he doesn’t believe what Steve is saying, but is choosing not to argue. Instead, he sighs heavily and turns away from Steve, directing his attention towards the chip self directly to his right. He looks so lost and confused and Steve doesn’t know what he can say to make that look disappear.

*

“I’m going to tell him,” Natasha declares a few hours later. She’s standing in the doorway of Steve’s bathroom with her hands on her hips and a grin on her face while she stares at Steve, who is standing awkwardly in front of the mirror in nothing but his boxers.

Steve blinks. “What,” he says, still off guard from Natasha barging into his room unannounced.

Nat rolls her eyes. “About the baby, _Steven_. I scheduled an appointment with my OB/GYN for the fifteenth, and I’m going to tell him on that date once he gets home from work.”

Steve smiles as a swell of pride blooms in his chest. “Natasha—”

“Wait, I’m not done,” she interrupts, her tone gentle. “I’ve decided that I’m going to keep the baby.”

Steve’s smile widens. “That’s wonderful, Nat!”

“I know,” she says, a warm smile on her lips. She falls silent, gazing down at her hands covering her belly for a moment before her smile falters. “Steve, when I do eventually tell Sam, will you be there with me? I don’t think I’ll be able to do it alone.”

“I would be honored,” Steve says and when Natasha looks up, he swears that her responding smile lights up the entire room.

*

_**“Hey, I just got off work now and I’m about to go home and change. Becca and I should be at the beach in half an hour, but don’t hold us to that. :P”** _

_**“Awesome! I’ll let Sam and Nat know. I can’t wait to see you!”** _

_**“Same! I missed you last night.”** _

_**“I missed you too. See you in a bit.”** _

_**“Okay ;)”** _

*

“Steve.”

“Bucky,” Steve says, barely able to get his name out before he’s pulled into a searing kiss in the middle of the parking lot, and Steve isn’t complaining as he mirrors Bucky’s passion, pulling their bodies together and running his hands down Bucky’s sides. They stay wrapped in each other for a few moments before Steve breaks their kiss and gazes lovingly at Bucky, who’s wearing a playful smile on his face.

“Hi,” he says.

“Hi,” Steve responds, leaning forward to peck Bucky’s lips once before pulling away completely. He takes Bucky’s left hand within his right before turning to the others, who all have various stages of amusement on their faces.

“You good?” Sam asks while wearing a teasing grin.

Steve rolls his eyes. “We’re good.”

“For now,” Bucky adds cheekily.

Sam snorts and shakes his head before turning and leading the group away from the parking lot so they can find a spot on the beach and settle in.

Once everything is in place, Bucky tugs Steve by their joint hands and drags him out to the water with Natasha and Rebecca trailing behind them (Sam elected to stay behind for the moment because Usher released a new song earlier and he hadn’t gotten the chance to listen to it yet). As soon as Steve’s feet hit the water, he is immediately chilled to the bone, releasing Bucky’s hand and wrapping both arms around himself.

“Holy fuck it’s freezing,” he says as a surprised laugh slipping from his lips.

“Yeah, but it feels amazing in this hot ass weather,” Bucky says before belly flopping into the water.

Steve snorts in response. When he finally gets used to the temperature, he slowly wades out to where Bucky is floating with his face titled towards the sun, his eyes closed and expression relaxed. Steve grins mischievously to himself before he splashes Bucky, laughing while he sputters and flails in the water.

Bucky wipes off his face and throws a mock glare in Steve’s direction. “Punk,” he says with no anger in his tone as he splashes Steve back.

Steve uses his hand to block the water droplets and grins. “Jerk,” he replies as he splashes Bucky again, watching as a warm smile forms on his face.

“Guys! The waves are coming in hot!” Rebecca yells overjoyed as she and Natasha reach the couple’s position. She lightly punches Steve in the arm and dunks Bucky’s head into the water before wading ahead of them, linking her hands with Natasha’s as they all start riding the waves together.

As the waves continue rising in height, Steve looks over at Bucky, his heart swelling at the carefree grin on his face as he shouts with glee at each oncoming wave. Steve smiles widely and honestly can’t stop himself from falling in love with Bucky all over again.

_“Steve, Bucky, watch out!”_ Natasha screams, but her warning comes just a second too late.

Unprepared, they’re hit by a massive wave and Steve is dragged under, finding himself desperately fighting against the current that is trying to pull him out to sea. By some miracle, he feels arms wrap his torso and pull him up. Steve’s head breeches the surface and he gasps, gulping in as much air as physically possible. He can hear Natasha’s voice filling his ears, but he can’t make out what she’s saying—his senses are heightened and panic grips him now that his brain has caught up with the reality that he could have drowned.

“—breathe, Steve, I need you to breathe. It won’t do you any good if you have a panic attack right now,” Natasha is saying, her tone gentle and soothing.

Slowly, Steve regains control of his breathing and relaxes into Natasha’s arms, leaning back and resting his head against her shoulder as she keeps them both afloat. “Nat, you saved my life.”

“It’s what friends are for,” she says, and can Steve can tell that she’s smiling.

“Steve?”

Steve opens his eyes (when did he close them?) and lifts his head from Natasha’s shoulders at the sound of his name, finding Bucky and Rebecca floating in front of them looking worried. He reaches out and Bucky wades closer, enough so that Steve can place his hands on either side of Bucky’s face and pull him into a slow kiss. Bucky melts against him as he presses his body against Steve’s, lightly moaning against his lips.

“Steve,” Bucky says once they part, his eyes wide and watery as he scans Steve’s face, leaving so many words unspoken.

“I know,” Steve responds before connecting their mouths together again. He can feel Natasha’s arms slip from around him and Bucky’s quickly replace hers, supporting his weight as they continue kissing.

“I’m, uh, really sorry to ruin the moment, but we should probably head back to shore,” Rebecca says, sounding apologetic. “Not only do I think a storm is coming in, but Sam looks like he’s going to call the Coast Guard if we don’t hurry up.”

Confused, Steve twists in Bucky’s arms and scans the shoreline until he finds Sam hovering at the edge of the water, his left hand curled around something while he motions with his right for them to come back inland. Steve nods his head before turning back around, placing a quick kiss to Bucky’s lips before pulling away completely.

“Are you sure?” Bucky asks, looking reluctant about letting Steve go.

“Yeah, I’ll be good,” Steve says. He waits a beat before adding, “Just don’t go too far.”

“Wasn’t planning on it,” he responds.

*

They slowly begin making the trek back to shore, having to stop occasionally to let the larger waves pass over them (when that happened, Bucky made sure he had a tight grip on Steve so he didn’t go under again). Once they are close enough to shore, Sam rushes out to meet them, passing Steve his inhaler while demanding to know what happened. Natasha explains everything while Sam leads everyone to their spot and helps Steve settle down on one of the towels.

Sam nods once he has the full story and rummages through Natasha’s beach bag before pulling out his emergency medical kit that he usually keeps in the trunk of his car. He takes his time looking over Steve, checking his blood pressure, heart rate, and breathing while calmly speaking to him about nothing. After about ten minutes, Sam determines that Steve will be all right and that he just needs some rest.

“You think we should head out?” Rebecca asks, wringing her hands together in what Steve assumes to be a nervous habit.

“It’d recommend it,” Sam says. “But, it’s your call Steve.”

“If you think we should, then I won’t question it,” Steve says after a moment of thinking, unable to stop himself from feeling like he ruined everything.

Natasha rolls her eyes. “You didn’t ruin anything, Steve, shit happens,” she says as though she read Steve’s mind. “Besides, we still have one more full day tomorrow so we can always come back, though maybe it should be earlier in the day. Okay?”

Steve nods. “Okay.”

“Good,” Natasha says, signaling the end of the conversation.

While she, Sam, and Rebecca start packing everything up, Bucky comes over and settles in next to him, pressing their sides together and resting his chin on Steve’s shoulder. Steve sighs content at having Bucky so close, leaning against him and pressing his cheek against Bucky’s hair.

“I love you,” Bucky says, twisting his arms around Steve’s waist.

Steve smiles. “I love you too.”

*

Back at the hotel, Steve is tucked in his bed with Bucky curled up on his right and Natasha laying on his other side with one leg hanging off the bed as she stares intently at the television. They’re currently watching _Gilmore Girls_ because there is a marathon on ABC Family and because Natasha has been trying to get Steve to watch it for the past year and a half without success.

The door opening diverts Steve’s attention away from the program and he watches Sam and Rebecca enter the room, obviously having returned from getting dinner. Sam ditches his bags on the bed and darts into the bathroom without so much as a greeting while Rebecca closes the door behind her and moves further into the room, setting her bags on the table next to the television stand.

Rebecca huffs out a breath before removing her jacket and throwing it over the back of one of the chairs. “Boy, you guys would not _believe_ the amount of traffic there was for a Tuesday—Sam? Are you alright?”

Everyone’s attention is drawn to Sam, who is standing in the doorway to the bathroom, staring at a box in his hand with a complete horror broadcasted clearly on his face. Steve tries to see what he’s holding, but can’t exactly make out the words since he needs to update his glasses prescription. It’s not until Natasha tenses next to him and sucks in a nervous breath that Steve knows exactly what Sam is holding.

“What the hell is this?” Sam asks without looking up.

“In some countries, they refer to that as a pregnancy test,” Bucky says after a tense moment of silence.

Sam tears his gaze away from the box and frowns at Bucky. “I know that dumbass. I _mean_ , what is it doing in Steve’s bathroom?”

“It’s mine,” Natasha blurts out, looking as though she physically could not have stopped herself from speaking.

“Yours? What?” Sam sputters confused. “I thought you said you were supposed to get your period this week?”

“Well, I _was_ but then I _didn’t_ , so I took the test as a precautionary measure and—” Natasha cuts herself off and takes a deep breath. “I’m pregnant, Sam.”

Sam stares at Natasha in shock before the biggest grin overtakes his face. “You’re gonna have a baby?” he asks, his tone soft and loving.

Natasha furrows her brow. “You’re not mad?”

“Mad? Why would I be mad? I’m gonna be a dad. We--  _we’re_ gonna be parents!” Sam pauses, his grin faltering slightly. “Is that what you want too? Do you want to be parents?”

Natasha smiles widely. _“Yes,”_ she exclaims and Steve has never seen Natasha move so fast before as she practically launches herself from the bed and runs over to Sam, leaping into his arms and kissing him with everything she can muster.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The song Usher released is “She Came to Give it to You” Feat. Nicki Minaj
> 
> I’m on tumblr! Come say hi! (stevexbxcky.tumblr.com)


	13. July 9th, 2014 (Part 1)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Once again, I talked way too much and I have to split this chapter into two lol
> 
> Listening to: “The Predator” by Ice Cube

A knock on the door in the early hours of the morning rouses Steve from his deep slumber. He groans low in his throat and forces himself out of bed, sliding on his glasses before making is way to the door, wondering whom could be here at this hour (other than Natasha, of course, but she would have let herself in). He opens the door and is completely surprised when he finds Bucky on the other side, looking as though he hasn’t slept all night. Steve furrows his brow with concern. “What’s wrong? Are you hurt?”

Bucky shakes his head. “No, I’m fine—well, physically anyway.” He pauses to take a breath. “I received my orders last night. I have to report to base at oh-seven-hundred tomorrow.”

Steve feels like he’s just been hit by a freight train. “You mean . . .?”

“Yep, I’m going back to the desert.”

In reality, Steve knew that Bucky was eventually going to have to return to the Army, but he didn’t think it was going to happen this soon. “How long?”

“Two years,” Bucky says with a frown, his eyes looking everywhere but at Steve.

Steve pulls Bucky against him and Bucky sighs, wrapping his arms around Steve’s torso and resting his cheek against Steve’s shoulder.

“What are we gonna do, Steve?” he asks.

Steve shrugs. “I don’t know, Buck. But, I do know that no matter what happens, I’ll be with you til the end of the line.”

Bucky moves away from the hug in favor of kissing Steve, his mouth insistent and rough. Steve’s hands tangle in Bucky’s hair as he gradually slows their pace, molding his mouth to Bucky’s as they exchange long, sweet kisses. Bucky’s hands trail down Steve’s sides, causing him to shiver and moan quietly against Bucky’s lips.

Eventually, Bucky breaks their kiss and quietly gazes at Steve, eyes wide and watery with love and unshed tears. Steve leans forward and kisses Bucky again, just the barest hint of a touch that leaves him wanting more.

“I don’t know why, but I have a sudden craving for pancakes,” Bucky says after a moment of comfortable silence, his warm breath ghosting across Steve’s lips.

“We’ll have to get you some then,” Steve says before closing the distance between them.

*

“Rikki, please stop crying.”

“I _can’t_.”

“What’s going on?”

Steve looks up and finds Sam and Nat standing in the doorway with concern etched onto their features. Not long after Steve invited Bucky inside, Rebecca showed up in a panic, nearly busting down the door in an effort to get to her brother. Apparently, before Bucky came to see Steve, he left a note for his sister explaining everything without detailing any real plans of returning home that evening. Rebecca yelled at him until she was blue in the face before she burst into tears. She hasn’t stopped crying since.

“I have to go back to Afghanistan,” Bucky says, solemnly.

Sam nods, a knowing look in his eyes. He walks further into the room, Natasha trailing behind him. Steve expects Sam to stop and talk with Bucky, but instead, he’s kneeling down in front of Rebecca, who’s curled up in one of the chairs next to Steve’s table, her body angled away from everyone while she cries into her hands.

“Hey,” Sam says, gently, resting one of his hands on Rebecca’s knees. “You know, there’s nothing wrong with being upset about your brother leaving.”

“I’m not upset,” Rebecca says suddenly. She removes her hands from her face, revealing the unrestrained anger in her eyes that her tone doesn’t betray. “I’m _pissed_.” She wipes away her tears with the back of her hand. “The Army has taken everything—first Dad, then Jane, then Anne. Hell, they’ve already taken Bucky’s arm, what, will they not be satisfied until they’ve taken his life too? He, Kira, and mom are all I’ve got left and I don’t want to lose him too.”

“Becks—”

“No, _James_ ,” she spits harshly. “I’m so tired of everything being taken away from us—what the fuck did we do to deserve this shit?”

“Maybe, we should leave you two alone,” Sam says before ushering Steve and Natasha out of the room, shutting the door behind them right as Bucky and Rebecca start raising their voices.

Steve, Sam, and Natasha move to sit by the pool, letting Bucky and Rebecca take as much time as they need, though Steve does wish he had the chance to put on some pants (he’s still in his boxers and it’s chillier outside than he thought it would be). As if reading his mind, Sam goes into his and Nat’s room before coming out with a pair of jeans and a shirt, both of which Steve is extremely grateful for.

Eventually, the voices quiet down and the siblings emerge from the room following a tense period of silence. They move efficiently and join up with the others, sitting down on a nearby bench.

“I’m sorry for how I acted in there,” Rebecca says, her voice quiet and unguarded.

Sam shakes his head. “It’s okay,” he says, fixing Rebecca a stern look when she looks though she wants to protest. “There’s no shame in not wanting your loved ones to leave.”

Rebecca nods, though she still looks uneasy. She leans to the side and presses her forehead against Bucky’s shoulder while he shifts so he can wrap his sister in a one armed hug.

“You’ll come back again, right?” Rebecca asks, her voice strained and suddenly Steve can see a younger version of Rebecca, asking the same question to her father, to Jane, to Anne, and finally, to Bucky the first time he shipped out.

Bucky smiles. “Of course I will—you’d be completely lost without me.”

Rebecca chokes on a laugh.

*

Once Steve, Natasha, and Sam get dressed, the group of five walks over to _Dina’s Diner_ for breakfast per Bucky’s earlier pancake request because, according to him, no one makes pancakes likes Dina.

“You know, it’s really weird being here and not having you as our waiter,” Sam says to Bucky once their main course has arrived.

“Oh, I’m so glad I wasn’t the only one thinking that,” Bucky responds before shoving a forkful of pancakes into his mouth, closing his eyes and looking as though he’s barely holding back a pleased moan.

“Hey guys, I have a joke for you,” Natasha says before clearing her throat. “Why did the chicken cross the road?”

“Because you didn’t fucking cook it!” Rebecca answers with a grin.

“Yes!” Natasha says, laughing.

“Oh no, there’s two of them,” Sam says, horrified while Rebecca and Natasha high five. He turns, grabbing onto Steve’s bicep and looking at him with pure fear in his eyes. “What am I gonna do Steve? I don’t think I’ll be able to handle two Natasha’s.”

“Two? You can barely handle one,” Steve comments.

“True story,” Natasha says before laughing again.

Sam shakes his head adamantly. “You know what? No,” he says releasing Steve’s bicep and picking up his fork again. “I’m not gonna let anything ruin my best day ever.”

Natasha raises an eyebrow. “Your best day ever?”

“That’s right, my love,” Sam says. “I’m going to make it my mission to make this the best day ever.”

Nat hums curiously. “Alright, if you actually do manage to make this the best day ever, I’ll give you twenty bucks.”

“Challenge accepted,” Sam says, reaching across the table to shake Natasha’s hand in confirmation of their bet.

*

Rebecca parks in an open lot off Main Street, where many of the tourist ships are located. Everyone climbs out of the car before wandering into the first store they come across, separating once they’re inside. Minutes later, a sudden high-pitched noise has Steve rushing to the other end of the store, where he and the others find Sam standing in front of the baby clothes, holding a light pink onesie one hand while the other covers his mouth.

“Sam?” Natasha asks gently she approaches Sam, both hands outstretched.

Sam lowers his hand from his mouth. “It’s so little,” he says in a broken voice that sounds like he might start crying at any moment. “Nat, our little girl is going to be wearing this in nine months.”

A warm smile crosses Natasha’s lips. “How do you know it’s a girl? We won’t know the sex for another five months at least.”

“I just have a feeling,” Sam says, wiping at his eyes with his free hand.

“Come on, Sam,” Nat says, curling her arms around Sam’s bicep and slowly leading him away from the baby section.

Sam goes willingly, but not before swiping a medium sized stuffed Falcon from a nearby shelf, declaring that their little girl is going to love it while Natasha smiles fondly at him.


	14. July 9th, 2014 (Part 2)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> After this is the epilogue! Thank you guys so much for your support! 
> 
> Featured song: “Carolina Summer” by Chase Holfelder 
> 
> Listening to: “The Predator” by Ice Cube

Steve is trying to decide on which overpriced souvenir keychain he wants to buy when he feels familiar arms wrap around his torso. He smiles and leans back against Bucky, threading his fingers through Bucky’s that are resting on top of his stomach.

Bucky is humming along to some song playing quietly on the radio while he noses at the skin behind Steve’s ear. _“You caught my eye on that Carolina summer cause you shine brighter than the sun off the water and—just like the sunscreen, I had to have you all over me,”_ he sings, whispering the lyrics into Steve’s ear. _“I said I know we all decided whatever happens here is gonna stay right—is gonna stay right here, but just like the memories, you know I’m taking you home with me. Can’t wait to get you alone.”_

Steve grins, resting his head against Bucky’s as they start swaying to the song, the key chain’s forgotten.

*

Natasha smirks when Steve walks out of the bathroom, drying his hands on his shirt (the bathroom didn’t have paper towels and he’s not a big fan of those automatic hand dryers).

“You look like you’re having a little trouble walking there, _Stevie_ ,” she says once Steve is within earshot, keeping her voice low so that Sam and Rebecca, who are standing nearby, don’t hear them.

Steve frowns. There was no way Natasha could have heard them because Steve can stay quiet and Bucky used his shirt as a makeshift gag. “It must be your imagination because I feel fine.”

“Is that why I can see your hickey?”

Steve moves his hand to cover his neck when he pauses. “I don’t have one.”

Natasha hums. “You don’t, but your response tells me everything that I need to know.”

Steve rolls his eyes. “You should really get a hobby.”

Nat raises an eyebrow. “Are you kidding? I don’t know if you recall, but my last hobby got me pregnant.”

“Natasha!” Steve squawks in surprise while Natasha simply laughs.

*

“Hey, you guys wanna watch me jump over that bench?” Sam says, gesturing to the bench in question that’s settled a few feet in front of them.

“Sam, no,” Natasha says warningly.

Sam ignores her and charges forward, leaping over the bench gracefully . . . that is until his foot catches on the back of the bench and he falls, landing on the ground in a crumpled heap.

“Sam!” Natasha yells, running over to him with the others trailing behind her. She reaches Sam first and instead of helping him up, she slaps him on the arm. “Are you out of your fucking mind, Samuel? You have a child on the way—you can’t keep doing stupid shit like this.”

“But, did it look awesome?” Sam asks after a moment of silence.

Natasha throws her hands in the air in frustration and walks away, leaving Steve and Bucky to help Sam up while Rebecca tries comforting Natasha.

*

“Steve, can you help me make this shot?” Bucky calls.

“I thought you said you knew how to play,” Steve says as he walks over to Bucky’s positon. They’re playing Mini-Golf again because, once again, had the feeling like today was going to be his shining moment (which he will later find it out, it wasn’t).

“I do,” Bucky confirms once Steve is within earshot. “But, I really want your arms around me right now.”

Steve grins and wraps his arms around Bucky, pressing snugly against his back while his hands come to rest on Bucky’s stomach. “You know, you don’t have to use golf as an excuse for that,” he says into Bucky’s ear, his tone going low and raspy.

“I know,” Bucky says, with a small smirk. He turns his head to the side and meets Steve’s mouth, capturing his lips in a slow and sweet kiss.

“Hey, no kissing on the green,” Sam yells, and Steve swears that he can hear Natasha’s eye roll.

*

Rebecca makes a quick stop at hers and Bucky’s house to pick up their fishing gear before driving everyone out to Memorial Park for some dusk fishing (Natasha has been talking about going fishing for a while now and she, Steve, and Sam even purchased their fishing permits for Virginia they last time they went to Walmart). Once at the park, they unload the car and make their way over to the small pier before settling in.

While Rebecca is helping Sam, Natasha and Steve already have their lines threaded and cast (Bucky aided Steve and Natasha did hers alone). Steve is holding the rod in a firm grip while Bucky is pressed against his side, arms curled loosely around Steve’s waist as he dozes with his head resting against Steve’s shoulder.

“Hey,” Steve says gently, getting Bucky’s attention after he moved away so he could stretch his limbs after being in the same position for a while.

Bucky hums curiously.

“I love you,” Steve says, turning his gaze from the still water so he can meet Bucky’s eyes.

“I love you too,” Bucky says, leaning forward and pressing their lips together once before he shifts back into his original positon.

Steve noses Bucky’s hair lovingly, his grip tight on his fishing rod, while he listens to his friends quietly converse amongst themselves.

*

“Natasha,” Steve says once he catches his friend alone in the parking lot, slowing his pace so he can match hers. “I never thanked you.”

“For?”

“For giving Bucky my phone number back when we first got here. If it wasn’t for you, I probably never would have properly met the love of my life.”

Natasha smiles widely, looking extremely proud though whether it’s at herself or Steve, he doesn’t ask. “I knew it. I keep telling Sam that my gut never lies . . .”

“He should listen to you more.”

“That’s what I’m saying! Oh and Steve?”

“Yeah?”

“You’re welcome.”

*

The group finds themselves at AJ’s for dinner long after the sun goes down, mainly because Rebecca received coupons in the mail yesterday and was willingly to treat everyone. Once settled at their table, they immediately begin exchanging any information they don’t already have (phone numbers, mailing and email addresses, social media, etc.) as well as promises that they’ll stay in touch with each other.

About halfway through their meal, Sam raises his glass, tapping it gently with a spoon. He waits until he has everyone’s attention before speaking in a dramatic tone. “Let it be known on this day that I, Samuel Thomas Wilson, decree that the five of us shall reunite on June Twenty-Ninth . . . _Bucky, when does your tour end?_ ”

“Twenty-Sixteen.”

“On June Twenty-Ninth, Twenty-Sixteen at Dina’s Diner,” Sam concludes. “But seriously, though, y’all better be there or I will track your ass down. Natasha knows a guy who is willing to do it for a small fee.”

“Here, here,” Bucky says before everyone clinks their glasses together and takes a hearty drink.

Natasha sniffles and Steve furrows his brow.

“Nat, are you okay?” Steve asks, concerned.

“Yeah, I’m fine—it’s just the hormones is all,” she says, dismissively. “I mean, it’s not like I’m going to miss everyone because this is the most fun I’ve had on a vacation in long time, and I have two new friends and a baby on the way because of it, _and_ now I owe Sam twenty bucks because dammit, this was the best day ever.”

“Aw, honey, come here,” Sam says, shifting so he can wrap his arms around Natasha.

“Get the hell away from me,” she says, waving off Sam’s attempts at comfort before angrily sticking her fork into her pasta.

Steve feels Bucky nudge his arm and he turns, trying to interpret the expression on his face, only to come up blank.

“You don’t have to wait, you know,” Bucky says in a low tone, referring back to the conversation they had earlier in the day.

Steve threads his fingers through Bucky’s and squeezes his hand once. “I’d wait for you forever,” he says, and when Bucky leans over to kiss him, the world around them disappears.


	15. June 29th, 2016 (Epilogue)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is the last chapter everyone! Whether you’ve been here from the beginning or just found me now, thank you so much for all the support—it means the world to me! :)
> 
> Listening to: “Food and Liquor” (Full Album) by Lupe Fiasco

“Natasha, we’re going to be late!” Steve calls. He’s currently standing downstairs with his bags at his feet waiting for Natasha, who’s still lingering upstairs in an attempt to find her good bra.

“Hang on!” Natasha yells back.

Steve sighs and shifts so he can lean against the banister while he waits. He looks around the area, taking in the relaxed atmosphere of the newly decorated foyer. After graduating from NYU in May of the previous year, they all packed up and moved into a house in D.C. because Sam got a job as a certified consular at the Veterans Affairs downtown. Originally, Steve was going to move into an apartment complex just down the road, but Sam and Natasha refused to let him live anywhere else, all but sabotaging any open houses he went to.

“A-ha! I found it!” Natasha yells, her voice snapping Steve from his thoughts and bringing him back to the present.

They’re currently about to leave for another two week vacation to Chincoteague, heading out earlier in the day than originally planned after Steve received a phone call from Bucky a few hours go, saying that he was back on the Island and wanted to see Steve. Part of Steve is still surprised that he and Bucky stayed together, seeing as Steve hasn’t had good experiences with long distance relationships, but he’s glad that they managed to make it work. Bucky means the world to him and he would have been devastated if something were to have happened.

“Alright, let’s go, Rogers,” Natasha says as she rushes down the stairs while carrying a multitude of bags. “I got it,” she adds before Steve could even open his mouth and offer to help.

Steve shrugs and walks over to the door, holding it open for Natasha before going back in to grab his own luggage. He does a quick sweep of the house before walking outside and locking the door behind him. He pockets his keys and makes his way where his friends are standing by Natasha’s Nissan Rouge that is parked in the driveway.

Sam is packing up the car while Natasha is double-checking her list. Sitting next to Natasha’s luggage is Elise Marie Wilson, wearing her favorite panda onesie and watching her parents curiously while she cuddles her Falcon (when Natasha had first brought Elise home from the hospital, Sam gave her the stuffed toy and she honestly hasn’t let go of it since).

Steve sets his bags on the ground before picking up Elise, cradling her close to his chest. “Are you excited to go on vacation?”

“Yeah!” she says happily, as she makes herself comfortable in his arms.

“Do you know what’s going to happen while we’re on vacation?”

Elise furrows her brow in thought and shakes her head no after a few seconds.

“You’re going to meet your Uncle Bucky and your Aunt Becca,” he says with a grin.

_“Finally,”_ Elise says, stretching out the word. Her expression and tone mirror Natasha’s infamous exasperation, which causes the adults to laugh.

“And on that note, we are all ready to go!” Sam says, closing the trunk for emphasis. “Let’s do this thing!”

*

“Mommy, mommy, look at all the water,” Elise calls as Sam drives across the Chesapeake Bay Bridge.

“I see it, sweetie— it’s beautiful,” Natasha says with a fond smile.

“Fun fact: seventy five percent of the Earth is covered with water,” Sam says, informatively.

_“Whoa,”_ Elise says, sounding completely in awe. She sits up straighter in her car seat and presses her hands and face against the window so she can get a better view.

*

**_“We’re passing through Pocomoke now, Buck.”_ **

**_“God, Steve, you’re so close. I can’t wait until you’re here so I can fuck you stupid.”_ **

Steve freezes and slowly looks to his left, relieved when he discovers that Elise is sleeping (sometimes when Steve is on his phone, she’ll watch him and point at his screen while babbling happily). He shakes his head and turns back to his phone before typing out, **_“Can’t wait ;)”_**

**_“Can’t wait? Come on, Steve; my dick is hard and leaking and that’s all you have to say?”_ **

**_“ . . . Aren’t you supposed to be working?”_ **

**_“I am, but I’m taking a break right now.”_ **

Steve rolls his eyes. **_“I’m not helping you get off via text.”_**

**_“Can I call you?”_ **

**_“Uh, seeing as I’m still in Sam’s car, no.”_ **

**_“:(”_ **

**_“I know, Bucky. I’ll be with you soon—twenty minutes tops.”_ **

**_“Alright, I’m holding you to that. I love you.”_ **

**_“I love you too.”_ **

*

Sam pulls into the parking lot of America’s Best Value Inn just after ten in the morning. Since check in doesn’t start until three in the afternoon, they unanimously decide to walk over to _Dina’s_ and grab a table before the lunch rush starts.

“Steve?” a hopeful voice asks almost as soon as they enter the diner.

Steve looks up to find Bucky standing on the other side of the diner, his hair in a messy bun and a wide smile on his face. “Bucky,” he says and suddenly he’s walking forward, meeting up with Bucky in the middle of the diner and pulling him into a hug, pressing their bodies together until there’s no space between them.

They stand together in silence for a moment before Bucky moves away in favor of drawing Steve into an enthusiastic kiss, which Steve returns wholeheartedly. Bucky’s arms loop around Steve’s neck while Steve’s hands rest on Bucky’s lower back as he deepens their kiss, swallowing the pleased whine that Bucky emits.

“Get a room,” Sam shouts teasingly from somewhere behind them.

Steve pulls away from Bucky. “We have one,” he says, which causes Bucky to smirk. He leans in to kiss Bucky again when he feels someone tugging on his shorts. He pulls ways and looks down, finding Elise staring up at Bucky with a curious expression on her face.

“Well, hello there,” Bucky says, crouching down so he’s eye level with Elise. “You must be Elise. I’ve heard so much about you.”

Elise blinks at Bucky before turning to Steve, who has also crouched down. She points to Bucky and says, “Uncle Bucky?”

Steve nods. “Yeah, that’s your Uncle Bucky.”

Elise looks away from Steve and walks forward, wrapping her tiny arms around Bucky’s neck. Bucky hugs her back, holding her close and looking as though he might cry from sheer happiness.

“Ah! Oh my god!” a new voice exclaims.

“Rebecca! Hi!”

Steve turns away from Bucky and Elise and finds Rebecca hugging both Sam and Natasha at the same time, congratulating them on becoming parents in between the three of them shrieking enthusiastically about nothing in particular. He rises to his feet only to be pulled into his own hug, holding Rebecca for a moment before she pulls away and turns her attention to Elise, who is now standing in front of Bucky and babbling animatedly about something she saw on the way here.

“Aw, she is literally the cutest thing,” Rebecca says. “How old is she now?”

“A year and two months,” Natasha says with a proud smile.

“Aww. She’s so big now,” Rebecca gushes. “Are you still staying at home with her?”

Natasha shakes her head. “Not anymore. I was stay-at-home for about . . . six or seven months, but once I was confident that our Nanny could take care of Elise on their own, I got a job at a law firm and work as an assistant to a defense lawyer.”

“Nice,” Rebecca says before furrowing her brow. “You have a Nanny?”

“Yeah, Steve,” Natasha says, casually.

Steve rolls his eyes. “I work from home as an artist. At first, I helped Natasha when Sam went back to work but now, I watch Elise for them during the day and work at night.”

“You’re an artist?” Rebecca asks curiously.

Steve nods. “I work for an independent company and had my first book published back in January.”

“That’s exciting! What’s it about?”

“Oh, it’s a tale that I am _far_ too familiar with,” Sam chimes in as he takes a seat at an empty table nearby. “His book is Elise’s favorite and she has me read it to her every night. Did you hear that? I’ll say it again. _Every_ night.”

Steve rolls his eyes. “I can’t help it that your daughter has fantastic taste,” he says while Sam snorts doubtfully.

“Where’s Carter?” Bucky asks, joining in to the conversation, Elise nestled comfortably in his arms.

“He has business in California. I actually just got back from dropping him off at the airport,” Rebecca informs. “He was so upset that he isn’t able to come and gives everyone his best.”

Natasha raises an eyebrow. “Carter?”

“Huh? Oh, my fiancée.”

Natasha gaps. “You never mentioned a fiancée, you sly dog,” she says, shifting so she can lightly hit Rebecca in the arm.

Rebecca laughs before settling down in the seat across from Sam. “He’s the mystery guy I’ve been telling you about for the past year. I didn’t want to jinx it by saying too much, but we ended up getting engaged last week so I figured I’d wait and surprise everyone,” she says with a small smile.

“And what a surprise indeed. Congratulations,” Natasha says with a grin as she settles in next to Sam.

“Thank you,” Rebecca responds, smiling wider.

Steve moves then, sitting down in the open chair next to Rebecca’s while Bucky settles in on Steve’s right, cradling Elise close to his chest while she sleeps soundly, her face pressed against his shoulder.

A camera flash goes off nearby and Steve turns his head, finding Nat holding her phone in one hand while she wipes at her eyes with the other.

“Nat . . .?” Steve asks, trailing off.

“I’m fine. It’s just—I was so worried that she wasn’t going to like anyone new, you know. But, look at her—she loves him so much and I’m just so happy.” She pauses to sniffle. “I’m so happy that you guys love our baby as much as we do.”

“She’s an angel, Nat, how could we not?” Steve says honestly.

Natasha emits a high-pitched noise. “Stop it, Steve, you’re making it worse,” she says, which causes Steve to smile. After about a minute, she manages to regain control of herself, wiping her face off with her hands before placing them in her lap. “I’m okay. Really I am.”

As Natasha changes the subject, Steve looks over at Bucky, finding that the latter only has eyes for Elise, his expression soft as he gently rocks her in his arms while humming a tune under his breath that Steve doesn’t think he’s ever heard before.

Bucky looks up at Steve after a moment with a warm smile on his face, and Steve can’t help lean over and kiss him, lips gently moving against Bucky’s with no intention of going any further. It’s in this moment, in a nineteen sixties-esque diner on a small Island in Virginia, Steve is certain that no matter what the future may have in store for him, it’s going to be perfect as long as he has Sam, Natasha, Rebecca, Elise, and Bucky by his side.


End file.
